Moving (back to Japan!!) and coin/medal storage advice needed

Stork

It looks very much like I am headed back to Japan this summer for another 2 year tour. Last time I went I was barely getting into coins (just bullionesque stuff really) and I just took it with me in my carry on.

While there is when I started the medals and everything else, so when we came back I registered mail'ed myself a bunch of small packages to get it all back.

Now it's ludicrous. I could never get it all there without a huge effort, nor do I want to. The environmental issues would worry me (pollution, humidity, near the water etc).

I want to take my Japanese Dansco and maybe a small selection of coins/medals. Of what medals can fit, those are in airtights, but plenty aren't. I wouldn't mind a box or two of slabs and 2x2s to comfort me and keep me from getting lonely for my coins (I am SUCH a nerd).

But what about the rest??? I have a safe deposit box for my higher value items, but I've heard that environmentally they aren't neccessarily the best so I'm not sure I'd want the copper or aluminum coins there (I'm getting alot of those over the last few months). Besides, I couldn't justify the cost of sd boxes to hold ALL my coins--most are just too low value.

What would be a safe way to keep the rest? I'm thinking of keeping them at my in-laws because I could drive them there at least. I was thinking of putting them in intercept boxes stuffed in tupperware.

Would tupperware be a good idea for the safety deposit boxes too? And what about the medals that don't have airtites or flips to stick them in? What is a good way to keep them buffered from each other?

Any other solutions or ideas?


Cathy

edited for punctuation--sigh.

1jester

I put some loose coins in old tupperware containers (about 30 year-old containers) and after 10 years the coins seemed to have picked up some kind of PVC sludge. I don't know if that would be the case with modern tupperware or not. In general it would be good to try to keep them in an airtight container with dessicant inside. How about old ammo boxes? I've done that for decades with low-value copper and no problems whatsoever. Of course, whatever you do, avoid all PVC. Keeping the lot at the in-laws seems a good idea. When I moved to Korea 25 years ago I was stopped at the airport and questioned/searched because I guess they'd never seen rolls and albums of coins before. I'm sure times have changed, and Korea 25 years ago is a lot different than Japan today (or then, for that matter), but it doesn't necessarily equate to less trouble for you. In general, I'd advise keeping most of your collection stateside. Good luck, Cathy!

theboz11

Send them all to me , and I will store them on my For sale Page

Stork

My husband would LOVE that idea!!

mrfred

I recommend Intercept Shield boxes and saflips. I have had excellent multi-year results with that combination across a wide variety of coins.

p.s. edited to add:

<<I have a safe deposit box for my higher value items, but I've heard that environmentally they aren't neccessarily the best>>
Try one of these in your SD box (you gotta remember to recharge it in your oven when the color of the crystals changes, as explained in the instructions):
Silica Cartridge Dessicant

Stork

I can do the dessicant before I leave, but most of the box stuff is either gold or just silver bullion. Maybe I can stick an intercept box in there for the few really nice (for me) silver or copper coins so I don't leave them at the inlaws.

This is my plan so far...but I'm open to more suggestions:

My loose coins in flips (saflips or equivalent...NO PVC) in intercept boxes. Some coins are in mint packaging capsules (like pandas and whatnot). Some are in airtights if they are nice enough, but alot of the nicer ones are in slabs. All (including slabs) are in intercept boxes.

My big worry really is about my medals (I should have been clearer about this really). Some medals have original packaging, but that doesn't mean good protection neccessarily. I have what can fit in airtights. However I do have a sizable amount that just won't fit in an airtight (too thick even for the biggie capsules).

Do you know of saflip equivalents for the big medals? I could see the medals in those, inside the intercept boxes.


Cathy

mrfred

Saflips come in 2.5x2.5 (I picked up a few, someplace) -- you can get them here -- I don't know if they can be found in sizes larger than that. Maybe there are PVC-free currency holders that would suffice for your stuff larger than 2.5?

shirohniichan

Cathy, let me just say "I'M ENVIOUS!!"

I haven't been back to the "old country" in over 10 years, and it's KILLING ME!

Best wishes on your 2-year tour there. I'd be happy with a 3-month tour (too bad my work wouldn't take me there ).

1960NYGiants

Kathy,

Your collection sounds quite large. I have 2 suggestions:

1. If your in-laws are OK with you storing your collection, install a large safe such as this one (7.9 cubic feet)

2. Rent the largest safe deposit boxes available at the main office of your bank. I have one that is nearly the same size as a letter size file cabinet drawer. It's a few $100 per year. Warning filling it up will make it very heavy. I always have to inform the teller to let me carry it.

Like Jester said "leave it in the States". I would only take the Dansco set and whatever reference catalogue you need. Imagine spending the next 2 years acquirng the Finest Known Dansco set of Japanese coins!

zeebob

Kathy

Worry about:

1 - fire / flood

2 - theft

3 - PVC or other "long term" environmental damage.

So theft can be addressed by a safe-deposit box (a big one). Pick it in an area that isn't likely to flood.

The issue with bank boxes is that most of the time the banks humidify the air - better for document storage, but bad for coins. Desiccants only work for a few months if exposed to a large volume of air, less if it's humid. So if possible find a bank that tries to keep a relatively low humidity or find a relative or trusted friend that will come and change the desiccant every month. Or...

I have often thought if I were stuck with your problem, I might put my coins in saflips, wrap them in AL foil with some desiccant on the inside, maybe an intercept shield as well, then put the foil inside of a vacuum sealed freezer bag. I might put the whole thing in a second sealed bag. The idea is of course to keep air away from the desiccant.

Store all of the "original" packaging separately. No sense in paying a bank to store it.

For whatever its worth, I just looked through 15 or so ammunition boxes filled with silver and copper coins stuffed into little brown acid free coin envelopes. These had been sorted for 37 years in a basement. No wild toning. No corrosion. So while I'm paranoid about my collection (as meager as it is), I'm guessing as long as you keep yours away from PVC and really high humidity, you'll do okay.

In the case of the collection I just reviewed, apparently theft was mitagated through hiding, but a fire or flood would have destroyed the collection. In fact, the house these were in did have a water pipe break and the basement did flood, but the coins were high enough above the waterline that they remained undamaged - good for the owner! A second flood occurred in the same house 15 years later, but the upstairs was flooded (another broken pipe from freezing temperatures - owner was on vacation), but the water ran down the walls and again the coins were not damaged. Good luck again for the owner.

Bob

Stork

<< <i>Your collection sounds quite large >>


Not toooo large, but in the ballpark of about 100 medals. Nothing individually of great value either, but in aggregate it adds up (I refuse to do the math .

I probably have only 10-20 coins truly worthy of a SDB, other than my bullionesque stuff--but I may as well get a good one. I have a smaller one now in the DC area, I'll see about getting one closer to my inlaws.

The safe sounds like a good idea too. I have a fireproof filing cabinet we left with them last time with all the old tax records and important papers. Maybe I can add a real safe too.

Thanks for the ideas (including the pm ones too


Cathy

zeebob

Don't get a small safe. Do get one you can bolt to concrete. Otherwise safes just make ready containers for thieves to carry.