Is there any reason why Whitman snap together plastic holders are not safe for long term storage.

haletj

This is very important, are they 100% safe, say even for ms68 Lincoln Memorial Cents worth $1000's, where one tiny speck could destroy all that value.

DHeath

Many of the SMS Lincolns in similar holders look like crap. I'd use intercept shield 2x2's.

BigE2

Yes. I would not use them for long term storage. They just DO NOT seal tightly. Also whatever impurities are in the air around the coin when you put it in a whitman will be trapped in there. Like someone else has posted, I'd go with Intercept on coins like you speak of.

Cameonut

I agree that the Intercept Shield holders would be your best bet. Second place to Air Tite holders.

If you have coins worth thousands, you can afford decent holders.

haletj

What if you put tape or better yet fingernail polish around the outside crack of the holder? Slabs are just plastic holders too... why should they be any better?

airplanenut

<< <i>What if you put tape or better yet fingernail polish around the outside crack of the holder? Slabs are just plastic holders too... why should they be any better? >>

Could fumes hurt the coins?

If you've got a $1000 coin, I'd go Intercept Shield, or just slab it for the protection.

Jeremy

Baley

You have raw memorial cents worth thousands of dollars each?

dthigpen

<< <i>You have raw memorial cents worth thousands of dollars each? >>



That's a whole different thread there...

coinguy89

I would say there not safe cause Whitman IMO makes cheaper quality storage items for the collector on the budget. I would say go with CoinWorld's holders.

haletj

Yeah, I keep the best coin I find for my own collection...I've got duplicates graded by pcgs and have sold them already...

1980-d ms67rd $525
1983 ms68rd $435 (and I have another ms68 on ebay right now)
1997 ms68rd $2000

and again these were just duplicates...

dthigpen

<< <i>1997 ms68rd $2000 >>



Raw? Wowsers, I need to switch to moderns!

ttown

I've had coins in these holders for about 25 years and never had a problem and that's at home.

BillJones

Most all of the Whitman snap locks that I've seen rattle. That's enough to disqualify them right there unless what you are storing is well circulated stuff which is of little value.

LindeDad

PCGS holders would be best for those top end pennies Jamie. Just my thought that for the long term your also buying the PCGS grade guarantee not just the holder. Plus PCGS will still be respected in the future I think.

haletj

Thanks for the responses...


<< <i>Many of the SMS Lincolns in similar holders look like crap. >>


Ok. That scares me. Could it be the blue stuff surrounding the coins... not the plastic...(I kind of foget what the sms sets look like)


<< <i>...They just DO NOT seal tightly... >>


Could this be fixed with tape or fingernail polish around the edges? I've heard people do that along the seems of capital plastics holders.


<< <i>I agree that the Intercept Shield holders would be your best bet... >>


These just snap together too. Will the intercept technology really help against whatever problems could be caused by using snap together holders in the first place?


<< <i>Most all of the Whitman snap locks that I've seen rattle... >>


Yes, this annoys me a little, about 10% of coins in them seem to rattle a bit... but this can't actually hurt the coins, right?... it's just the rim rattling against the plastic, not the surfaces...


<< <i>PCGS holders would be best for those top end pennies Jamie. Just my thought that for the long term your also buying the PCGS grade guarantee not just the holder. Plus PCGS will still be respected in the future I think >>


I pretty much would have to get my entire Lincoln Set 1931 to 2004 graded... so it would be several thousand dollars. I think there's a lot of risk just in sending the coins off. I'm keeping my set very long term so I'm sure in many many years it'll just need to be regraded again by whomever is at that time the most respected grading service. Plus...it is so much more enjoyable to look at a nicely well-matched set in a three ring binder of pages as shown below...than 12 blue boxes filled with slabs...

Coppernicus

haletj - This is an ongoing problem - long-term protection for copper coins. If they're in a slab, then I think a dry storage area (e.g. safe deposit box) with silica packs will be sufficient. The Intercept Shields are good also, I believe, but I would still use silica because the IS system is for gasses but not necessarily moisture.

If they're raw, then you can get extreme and submerse them in mineral oil. Sounds crazy but if they're in oil, no oxygen gets to them. I saw a roll of '34 Lincolns that had been stored in a sealed Mason jar filled with mineral oil for over 60 years and everyone was pristine: no spots, flyspecks, etc., and no RB - all were still RD. (A bit messy though!)

Mike

LincolnCentMan

Dude... if it's in the money, it's worth the $12-$18 to get PCGS's seal of approval on it. Send them in ten or fifteen at a time if you're worried about the financial hit.

And just because they graded your undercoin MS68, doesnt mean they'll grade the over coin MS68. Believe me, it happens.

David