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Best Type of Holder/Album for Storing Raw Coins

msch1manmsch1man Posts: 811 ✭✭✭✭
Another newbie question...
For those of you with raw coins, what do you feel is the best way to store your coins in a way that protects them as well as leaves them available to be viewed? I've looked online and it looks like there are some key players in this field...Dansco, Eagle, and Intercept Shield...are there others? I like the idea of being able to start with blank pages and make my own album. It looked like Eagle had some 2x2 holders that secure the coin and then some pages that the holders slide into. Is anyone familiar with these or something similar (do the holders really protect the coin)? I want to make sure that whatever sort of holder and album that I choose to go with allows me to see both the obverse and reverse of the coin (if that is indeed possible), but that more importantly will protect my coin from all of the gases and whatnot that could harm the coin and change its appearance (I'd hate to spend months or years searching for the perfect coin only to have it change over time and no longer be the perfect coin). Any suggestions on what to go with (or any other storage suggestions)?

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    I use the Intercept Shield coin albums. They also protect your coins from air pollutants that can attatch to the surface of your coins causing spotting or dulling. If you have good quality circulated coins these albums would be good for storing your collection. I use them for my entire collection. They also make storage boxes for slabs.
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    CladiatorCladiator Posts: 18,345 ✭✭✭✭✭
    yeah...intercept shield holders are sweet image
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    msch1manmsch1man Posts: 811 ✭✭✭✭
    A couple of questions...
    Does intercept shield make pages that the holders fit into so that you can make your own album?
    Also, can you see both the obverse and the reverse when in their holder?
    Thanks
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    edsondledsondl Posts: 390 ✭✭
    For more on intercept shield go to the source here. To buy them, go here. I have heard good and bad about the quality of the albums. I have not used them. However, I am disappointed in the range of dates held by the albums, nickels only to 2002 and dimes to 2001 with only room for three of the four (no room for 2001-S silver). I want to get some Dansco albums with extra pages for proof coins in Kointains. Dansco, intercept shield, whitman, Littleton and Harris albums (not the tri-fold folders) have acetate slides front and back that allow you to see both sides of the coins. Care must be taken to prevent scratching the coins because the slides may move. Older, similar albums also are known to cause toning at a rapid rate due to sulfur in the cardboard. Airtite albums seen here are another, expensive way to go. Airtites sold separately. I have a set of SAE's in an airtite album, but I ma really not crazy on the size, space, design or feel of the album. I hope that this helps.

    Many people here seem to prefer Dansco albums. Depending on where you live (humidity and proximity to the ocean) and if you use natural gas (which often contains added sulfur) and where in the house you store your coins, your results may vary.
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    msch1manmsch1man Posts: 811 ✭✭✭✭
    The main thing that I want to do is prevent the coins from toning...do you think air-tites would be the best way to do this (even if the album isn't great)?

    By the way, I like in Kansas City (very humid in the summer) and do use natural gas (furnace/stove/water heater)...based on this, what will be the best way to store coins (to prevent toning).
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    Dog97Dog97 Posts: 7,874 ✭✭✭
    Regular ole Danscos work for me for common stuff. If I were going to do something really high grade & raw I would probably use Air-Tites in the 2x2 cards or Intercepts.
    Change that we can believe in is that change which is 90% silver.
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    Welcome to the boards image.
    image

    image
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    dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,691 ✭✭✭
    pass on the eagle holders - they suck for anything larger than $1/2.

    suggestion that most everyone hear is going to think is stupid, but i still suggest anyway: DON'T buy your album just yet.

    instead, invest very cheaply in a package of 2x2 mylar flips w/ inserts & store your coins there. NO PVC! wait until you have enough coins, say half an album worth, before you buy the album. this way, you start out guided by the appearance of the COINS. more importantly, again as a beginner, you will easily & safely be able to pull the coins out for examination. i do not like the idea of you slip-sliding these coins in & out of a dansco or whatever before your more expert at it. trust me, as a beginner, you will want to be examining your coins A LOT. besides, w/ coins on separate pages, it's harder to compare them all w/ each other for matching appearance.

    when you feel like you know where your going w/ the set, that's the time to buy yourself a nice reward - the album.

    just my worthless opinion

    K S
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    Welcome to the boards, I use Intercept Shield. If you are a true Jayhawk fan you will recognize this guy. My two kids are closest to him. The others horned in. This was after the Santa Barbara game, the next night we lost to Nevada.

    image
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    Eagle makes an album for slabs, which I like. I wanted to put together my own album, too. The only bummer is that the pages are kinda flimsy, but they are also pretty cheap and I like to see my slabs next to each other instead of in a box.
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    dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,691 ✭✭✭


    << <i>The main thing that I want to do is prevent the coins from toning >>

    hey msch1man, that's 1 more reason i suggested in the other thread that you start out w/ vf/xf or so. no serious problems w/ toning.

    good luck!

    K S
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    haletjhaletj Posts: 2,192
    msch1man: The best way hands down is to buy the eagle holder pages, but not the eagle 2x2 holders. Then buy the Whitman snap together 2x2 plastic holders. The Whitman holders are the exact same size and fit into the pages, but are far superior in terms of safety. I don't like the eagle holders because they hold the coin by a flimsy mylar film, are nowhere near airtight, and the coin can slide around or the holder can pop open. (Sometimes the coins can rotate themselves in the Whitman holders, but it won't ever hurt the coin. The pages hold 20 coins which is very reasonable. I can fit my Lincoln Cents 1909-1958 nicely with 7 pages in a 3 ring binder. Sometime soon I will even break out my expensive slabbed ones and put them in with the rest of my set. Let me know if you have more questions about the pages or holders.

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