Advice on coin storage

[Charlie]

Hi folks,

I keep all my coins in 2x2 cardboard holders, but I am a little slow sometimes when I new coin arrives. I work full time in a hospital and have a young daughter so finding time sometimes can be tricky.

Does anybody know how long a coin can be kept in either the pvc pouches or small ziplock bags, that coins very often arrive in from ebay, without damaging the coin?

Just out of curiosity, ive read that pvc and other materials can damage coins over tine, what damage is actually caused?

Many thanks in advance.

Charlie

[Rob]

2x2 flips are ok as long as the material used for the window is mylar. Long term storage in pvc is not good as the plasticiser leaches out leaving a sticky residue and in addition reacts with copper based coins to leave a green film (copper acetate?) on the coin. As this is usually dissolved or suspended in the plasticiser, it can usually be removed by dissolving the residue in an appropriate solvent, but the best thing is not to be in that position. Obviously it will adhere to the coin's surface because it isn't flat, so you will still have a green tinge to the colour unless you remove all the contaminant.

People who spend more on their collections tend to look after their coins better, but for the typical casual collector of coins from circulation for example, long term storage is not always considered. For rummage bin material it isn't going to affect the already low value, but best not to get in the habit of storing coins incorrectly in the first place. Many collections are offered to me having been grandad's coins etc and they have often been stored for the past 40 years in sticky pvc holders, which are themselves contained in pvc pages. All in all it can get very messy.

[Charlie]

Thanks for the fast reply. The cardboard holders I have are mylar so that's ok.

So just in the short term, say 2-3 weeks until I get chance to transfer a new coin a mylar holder should be ok?

Just a bit of a panic, bought a few nice coins in the last few weeks and havnt had chance to do anything with them yet.

[Coinery]

If it's about short-term protection, I'd get hold of some acid-free coin envelopes and put your coins into those until you have time to process them properly. Store them in a dry environment, of course!

[Colin G.]

Stuart that is my approach too, paper envelopes scribbled on and then you can review when you get time

[sound]

Charlie,

If you do keep them in Acid free envelopes you might want to keep them in purpose built cardboard boxes. Rob has some on his site which are reasonably priced.

For more expensive coins that you may not want to handle to often, plastic capsules work well. The owner of predecimal Chris Perkins stocks a good range reasonably priced.

Mark

Edited January 6, 2015 by sound

[DaveG38]

So, are Lighthouse adhesive coin flips OK for long term storage?

[Coinery]

So, are Lighthouse adhesive coin flips OK for long term storage?

I hope so!

[Danz]

And me.

[DaveG38]

So, are Lighthouse adhesive coin flips OK for long term storage?

I hope so!

Anybody know defintively? I looked on their website and couldn't find much detail about the products. I'm guessing that they are so popular that its taken for granted that they are OK.

[Coinery]

So, are Lighthouse adhesive coin flips OK for long term storage?

I hope so!

Anybody know defintively? I looked on their website and couldn't find much detail about the products. I'm guessing that they are so popular that its taken for granted that they are OK.

There are so many things we take for granted, I guess, and, in all honesty, we take far greater things for granted than coin storage...where do we start, would we have the time?

I truly hope that 'fit-for-purpose' Mylar coin flips are something that they claim to be? I'm going to be SO pissed off if, in twenty years time, we find out that the adhesive leaches into the card and dies the rims of the coins red, or something?

I've lovingly decontaminated my coins before sealing them...if I don't outdo the tomb-boys I'll be gutted!