newheart

Thanks Sword, sound advice :-)

More hand-holding needed please. Having got my new Numis album, do I want to clean the coins in any way before putting them in the album. Not to improve the appearance, I love the patina, but to preserve the coins or stop any weird reaction with the plastic sleeves? Perhaps a gentle dab with a lens (glasses) cloth? Will do nothing yet, I know the whole question of coin cleaning is a contentious one!

Thanks Upinsmoke, I will order that book too then. That is a very kind offer, I do have some coins though, about 20+ found on eBay - I wouldn't want to mislead you.Will pm.

Welcome to the forum Barnzy. I am a fellow newbie; you have asked some really good questions. There is a lot of very helpful people on here, I am sure they will help you soon.

Well spotted Sword! I live in Winchester and The Great Hall is my favourite building.

LOL, I know the feeling Leo - I couldn't resist buying some really cheap Anna Indian coins from the late 18th, just out of curiosity. I justified it on the basis they had a kings head on them. Thanks for the links - I just ordered that "Collectors' Coins" book, I was going to ask for a recommendation. I ordered a loupe earlier. Not sure about the grading one yet, seems a bit dry and perhaps a bit premature (and isn't it aimed at those trying to grade and resell old coins?).

Hi, why do some old coins appear to have a sheen or gloss to them? Almost like they have been oiled. Is this natural? Is it desirable? See the attached image for example (yes it is from eBay). Thanks!

What do I collect? I am going to give a typical newbie answer of everything and anything at present, as long as it is British and Pre decimal. I have yet to see an example of each coin, but expect I will select one coin or period when I get to know whats out there and what I can afford.

No-one has mentioned Verdicare (Cited from: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/have-my-coins-been-oiled.289340/)?

By coincidence I just received a few farthings from that period and they all have a nice dark even sheen to them. As a newbie I have no idea if this sheen is good, bad, natural or added. Looks nice though.

Ukstu, what is stychas?

Thanks Leo. I am looking forward to starting the collection in the new album! Yes it was the classic album plus 4 sets of different sized sheets. I have not bought any cardboard separators - do they come with the album? Guess I will find out soon enough :-)

Thanks Ukstu. I had to Google ren wax! This is interesting. Gives the coins a nice lustre, and protects, but does it detract from their value? Do other collectors on here treat their coins in any way? TIA, Pete

Hi Leo, many thanks for the very helpful reply. I had tried to find out online how these things all worked and their differences but it didn't make much sense until now, thanks. The reason I asked about the use of flips is that I was not sure if it was safe to put coins directly in the Numis album pages. I have now placed an order for my first Numis album and lots of sleeves (thanks for the links Upinsmoke). For the benefit of any other newbie reading this, Numis is the name given to a particular Lighthouse album size, and comes in different flavours such as the classic and the Deluxe, and it is presently the smallest of the Lighthouse albums. Thanks for everyone's help.

Quick question for Leo - when you use the lighthouse albums, do you put the coins directly in the sleeves? Or put them in hard coin holders or the card coin holders first? TIA, Pete

Thanks for the advice Leo. btw are Lighthouse aka Numis? I saw on another forum some doubt about the plastics used in the sleeves. Though I am not sure if the plastic has to come into contact with the coin, or if it is just from the softners given off by the plastics. Probably getting ahead of myself here given the low value of my present collection!

Thanks Ian and Sword. I will be taking your advice ordering some of the albums and inserts recommended by Upinsmoke. Ian, to be fair to the makers of the 'cheap' albums, the plastic is OPP, not PVC. I think (though I may be wrong) that this is safe for coins. Thanks for all the replies everyone :-)

Thanks for all the replies everyone. No-one has answered my original question, "is any reason not to use a cheap album such as those on Amazon and eBay ". Could they damage coins? These would be circulated coins of relatively low value.

Hi Mick, Many thanks, they look pretty good, and are certainly an option for me. BTW we share similar tastes in music - been a Led Zep fan since oh so long ago! Cheers, Pete

Hi Rob, Thanks for the reply! I'd love to be able to afford something like that, but until I have at least some coins worthy of such accommodation I think I will have to pass :-).

Hi Garrett, thanks for your reply. I did search on this forum but the posts seemed to focus on capsules, Lighthouse trays and separate stamp holders. I would really like to be able to store my coins in a book type format, and keep start-up costs low in case this is not a hobby that grabs me in the long term. No-one mentioned the cheap amazon and ebay coin booklets that are so common and I wondered why. Cheers, Pete

Hi Craigy, thanks for the reply! But I have to ask now what is meant by "circulating coins" and "lighthouse"? I think I can guess but just to be sure... So that is what slabbed means! I am just beginning my collection and am buying a few affordable British coins (pre 1900) just to get to know what they look like and to see how the quality varies. And I guess to see which period/coin I like most. It will be a long time until I buy uncirculated/high quality coins I think. Many thanks, Pete