Storage question.

Sylvestius

What storage methods do you use for your coins.

I've tried many things over the years, the 2x2s with the thin film windows, the ordinary clear plastic 2x2s, the god awful paper flips, coin capsules etc.

After some humidity issues and some PVC issues (the album leafs contained PVC and it seeped through the white 2x2s with the thin plastic film onto the coins themselves), humidity issues meant that i couldn't use any flips whatsoever without the coins turning.

So eventually i did the decent thing and switched to the mahogany coin cabinet over 2 years i've had it now and i've had none of the problems i used to have with coins just turning. I've also eliminated all base metal coins from the collection and all silver coins below .900 fine.

A radical step meaning that i can't own copper or coins with high copper content (luckily i'm not exactly interested by base metal coins either), the only prone coin i have is a tin farthing which is in a capsule in the cabinet for extra protection but tomorrow it will be going in a bubble wrap envelope as i mail it off to a dealer.

So what do you use?

syraq

Slabs.

Whitman 2x2 snap holders.

Whitman type set albums for my British coins.

Intercept shield holders and flips.

MacCrimmon

95% of my collection is BARE NEKKID, & stored as depicted here.......



Add loads of desiccant, a few scavenger coppers and/or silver martyrs and you're good-to-go!

I keep what is slabbed in the Intercept shield slab boxes.

AuldFartte

Dansco Albums for several small collections, 2x2's (stapled) for a bunch of others, and a handfull of slabs. I really need to find a better way to store 'em.

python

I've been using Eagle 2x2's, overall I'm pretty happy with them.

spoon

I use Lindner albums. (Actually I only have one) They can hold a bunch of coins per page, which I like. Plus they're a nice small size.. it's what I use for my best stuff, good for travel. When I show off my coins I don't like to fumble around with bulky holders so these are really nice. I'll show a pic of it later once I get my camera back.

<< <i>Add loads of desiccant, a few scavenger coppers and/or silver martyrs and you're good-to-go! >>

Mac, I know how great your coppers are! But what do you mean by this??

historygeek

I use the brine option.

cacheman

MacCrimmon

<< <i>Add loads of desiccant, a few scavenger coppers and/or silver martyrs ......

Mac, I know how great your coppers are! But what do you mean by this?? >>



Spoon, it's about layers of barriers placed between the coin and the sulfur and other oxide contaminants which if left unprotected would continue to oxidize the copper and/silver coins.

A bit of history.......years ago I had some of the early GMM products. These were delivered in the saflips (which also appear to be quite safe taken in conjunction with other measures), but I removed them from the saflips and placed them inside a cotton pouch, and then inside a paper 2x2. These initial paper 2x2s were a heavier envelope (28# paper) but they were not sulfur-free, lignin-free, etc. After about 2-3 years I pulled some of the silver halves and the silver dollars from their cotton pouches and discovered they had started to form a light purple-cyan ring toning on the highest points of the periphery and migrating inwards....

I checked some of the coppers which had the same method, and guess what? Same color pattern was developing. I knew from reading some old Penny-Wise (Early American Coppers) that there had been a guy in the past that sold these cotton pouches with sulfur-free envelopes. Others advocated wrapping them in the anti-tarnish watch papers. Further study revealed that some of the EAC-ers had some really old coppers (British and American) which were still bright cherry-red and original orange. These had been stored by wrapping in a similar type tissue, and then sealing them in these metal shells....... Of course, when the Boulton & Watt Family collections came to light they had been preserved in just this same way. Those shells with brass exteriors acting as the "scavenging" part of the equation in readily attracting the various oxides to their surface, but the seal was tight enough to not allow any further penetration to the coin's surfaces.

That's all I'm doing. The first barrier is the watch papers, the second (more for cushioning) is yet another barrier, and the sulfur-free envelopes allow the coin's data to be maintained in the usual manner. These then go into the Intercept shield boxes which have some type of corrosion/oxide "trap". This might just be enough, but I add the bare .9999 silver and a few extra red unc. cents as "early warning indicators" to let me know if something is amiss in the environment. Of course, the dessicant just keeps the humidy low which further inhibits any oxidation potential.

Since I've changed over, all is well!!

As far as the coins not being directly viewable? I simply image them when I first obtain the coins, burn a CD, and then view at my leisure while the coins are locked away in the bank vault all cozy and safe.

Ocassionally, I'll pull a few and "unwrap" like little presents to view under the lights.......it's kinda like Christmas when I'm in the mood for a little good cheer. Add a few gills of uisge beatha, and the worries of the world fade into happiness.

spoon

Thanks for the rundown, Mac. Quite impressive! I hadn't thought of martyring coins as canaries, a good idea. Now I remember you talking about the watch paper wraps and cotton slips and you had some mysterious source for these. Which was it that was the hard to find one? and have you found any other sources for it since? I know I'm going to have to upgrade my storage system as I get deeper into collecting the nice stuff, yours is certainly an example to follow!

(btw, I still have those EIC coins I won from you back during the Inaugurata giveaway in your original holders )

1jester

I use Mac's method for my best uncirculated coins, and Saflips for the rest, all inside airtight metal cointainers with plenty of dessicant.

Philip

<< <i>
As far as the coins not being directly viewable? I simply image them when I first obtain the coins, burn a CD, and then view at my leisure while the coins are locked away in the bank vault all cozy and safe.
>>



Sounds like collecting images to me. I prefer to store my coins either in 2x2s or in clear plastic A4 size pockets divided by staples. That is really harsh and really cheap, but I keep only post-WWII circulated coins there. I don't think this damages the coins that much, except for the slding around - there are a few red cents that are still red, after two years. I do suspect that iron deteriorates fairly quicly, though.


I wouldn't suggest that you try this at home