Safe Keeping Rare Coins in the SDB

EastonCollection

Recently, I attended Summer Seminar the Advanced Grading class with Bill Shamhart, Charlie Brown, Ken Park and Don Kettling. All fantastic instructors and highly regarded class. I highly recommend this class for all folks purchasing any types of rare coins.
One comment Bill Shamhart talked about was protection for your coins. Copper coins are highly attracted to contaminants hence creating toning. If red copper is exposed to contaminants, then the red copper coin could turn to brown over time. Bill suggested emptying a roll of common date red pennies in your safe deposit box for a couple of reasons. First reason, if there are contaminants in the vault, then the contaminants are attracted to those common pennies as opposed to the valuable coins and secondly, if you see the common pennies turn from red to brown faster than there are more contaminants present. Bill states that all collectors should be doing this not just for copper coin collectors.
Very interesting and does anyone out there do this or have any thoughts?

Flatwoods

I have been doing it for years. I keep my coin boxes inside Tupperware boxes with dessicant and sacrificial red copper.
I have never seen any of the new copper turn though.
I use Ziploc bags and red cents in a safety deposit box.

LindeDad

www.coinarmour.com

I use the product on a lot of my pure gold and silver should work on copper.

Not affiliated to them except as repeat customer.

ricko

I keep my coins in my safe at home and have zero problems... been doing it for thirty years. Cheers, RickO

Coinosaurus

<< <i>I keep my coins in my safe at home and have zero problems... been doing it for thirty years. Cheers, RickO >>



I wasn't aware guns were good for getting rid of contaminants

TopographicOceans

Don't wrap your slabs with rubber bands in your SDB as the sulfur can tone the coins.



Edited to conform to the English language

Cameonut

I've been using silica gel packs and Intercept Shield track boxes for a long time. No problems.

But I'll probably drop some sacrificial copper in there just for fun and see what they do.

In my mind, the major contributor to contamination in the SDB is likely the other things you are storing next you your coins (paper, envelopes, rubber bands, etc.), not so much for the vault itself. Then again, every vault is different, and it is out of your control, so best to be safe.

Nap

Most of my collection was buried in the ground for 1000 years. I'm not so sure that modern contaminants are that harmful. I do like the idea of sacrificial cents, might try that just to see how nasty the environment really is.

EastonCollection

thank you for all your responses - I will follow all your good advice.