Wooden Slab Boxes

Yorkshireman

A friend of mine is a skilled woodworker.

While I realize commercially made wooden slab boxes can be purchased, it would be cool to have a custom made one in which to store my favorite coins.



Are there certain types of wood to avoid that could cause damage to the coins? Any other tips or pitfalls?



Advice would be appreciated.

Swampboy

As much as I like the idea of wood boxes I think it would be hard to find any wood or wood finish as inert as a slab box.

RichieURich

Another dealer I know had custom wood cases built for him to take to shows.

I asked him how he liked them and he said he did, except they weigh a lot more than the aluminum cases.

You might want to consider the weight factor as you transport the coins to and from your safety deposit box.

ricko

Hard maple wood is good... aromatic wood like cedar should probably be avoided. Cheers, RickO

Yorkshireman

Originally posted by: ricko

Hard maple wood is good... aromatic wood like cedar should probably be avoided. Cheers, RickO

Ricko,

Yes, I would think something like cedar could be a problem. What makes you say maple specifically?

foodude

PCGS sold wood boxes years ago and may still sell them(?) Anyone know what those boxes are made of?

291fifth

Stick with the plastic boxes. The wooden ones may be attractive but they are too bulky and heavy ... and who knows what chemicals they contain may affect coins.

mrcommem

The best wood to use is mahogany. I have an antique chest for my raw circulated coins that has circular indentations cut into 12 in by 12 in slabs of mahogany. It has different size circles for a variety of coins.

keets

wood will contain trace chemicals even if unstained/unfinished and it will by nature tend to absorb moisture. neither of those characteristics is good for coins. as most have said, stick with plastic.

mrearlygold

I bought one of these as a bright idea for ho scale slot cars and quickly found out why most of the guys use plastic plano boxes instead




Heavy

MrHalfDime

It is easy for any of us to speculate about which woods might be safe for coin storage, which adhesives should be used, and what other related materials and finishes might be safe for construction of wood coin storage boxes, but who among us are professional conservators? Is it a good idea to rely on our own preconceived notions, or the advice of other, presumably well-intentioned but likely misinformed individuals when making such important choices regarding our valuable collectibles? Several years ago I considered constructing a similar wood coin storage 'box', but before I did, I read as much as I could find on the subject of conservation materials. One of the best resources I found was a monthly column in Coin World by Susan Maltby. Susan is a professional museum conservator of coins, medals, paper money, and other objects, and provides a wealth of information, both in the printed "Coin World" weekly, and on line. Once, I contacted her directly via email to ask a very specific and important question regarding safe construction adhesives, and found her to be very personable, highly knowledgeable, and very prompt in her reply. I relied totally on her professional advice, and have never regretted that decision. Before making any important decisions such as this, it is recommended to seek the advice of professionals, and not leave it to chance.

originalisbest

Originally posted by: MrHalfDime
It is easy for any of us to speculate about which woods might be safe for coin storage, which adhesives should be used, and what other related materials and finishes might be safe for construction of wood coin storage boxes, but who among us are professional conservators? Is it a good idea to rely on our own preconceived notions, or the advice of other, presumably well-intentioned but likely misinformed individuals when making such important choices regarding our valuable collectibles? Several years ago I considered constructing a similar wood coin storage 'box', but before I did, I read as much as I could find on the subject of conservation materials. One of the best resources I found was a monthly column in Coin World by Susan Maltby. Susan is a professional museum conservator of coins, medals, paper money, and other objects, and provides a wealth of information, both in the printed "Coin World" weekly, and on line. Once, I contacted her directly via email to ask a very specific and important question regarding safe construction adhesives, and found her to be very personable, highly knowledgeable, and very prompt in her reply. I relied totally on her professional advice, and have never regretted that decision. Before making any important decisions such as this, it is recommended to seek the advice of professionals, and not leave it to chance.

There are a lot of ways I could try to say the same, but by far the easiest, is to quote this excellent and totally correct advice.