1864 S Seated Liberty One Dime Seated Liberty

Excellent. This is all good to hear; it means you don't have to learn everything you need to know in the next week.

First thing: If you don't already have them, order up a set of mylar flips to hold raw coins. Here's the caveat: These flips are also (cheaply) made of a plastic which includes PVC, a substance which makes them "softer." You deal with PVC often; if you've ever bought a new shower curtain, that "new" smell is PVC. This is not a good thing for coins. The outgassing byproducts of PVC are chemically reactive with almost every coin metal, particularly copper and silver, and will inevitably damage the coin if left in contact for more than a week or two.

So you want to ensure that any flips you buy contain no PVC. They will be described as "mylar," "archival," or something ensuring that they do not contain PVC. This is the specific brand and type I use:

http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/pro...ips-2x2.html

I trust both the Saflip brand, and this particular dealer, without question. Doesn't mean you have to use them, but I strongly urge Saflips. Quick test: if the flip will fold over and stay closed with the weight of the coin on top, don't use the flip. You should have to crease it between fingernails to make it stay closed; that's what PVC does to plastic.

The other alternative is the traditional 2x2 (other sizes available) cardboard flip. They are almost always cardboard and mylar, quite safe, and perhaps more popular than my choice of storage. They will require a stapler to seal, and preferably a stapler which flat-clinches instead of the "usual" curved clinch of an office stapler. One uses these with a sense of more permanency than plastic flips; their nice regular shape lends itself to easier bulk storage in boxes designed for the role. You'd additionally need a bespoke stapler, of course.

I use what I do because I tend to remove coins fairly frequently for photographic study and such. Either method I've presented is perfectly acceptable from a numismatic standpoint.

I can't speak to your European coins - not my specialty - but hopefully we'll have a member or two who can help you there.

If you want a few flips that are used to submit coins for grading, just message me your address by clicking on the icon in this post that show an envelope. I'll send you 4 or 5 for free. They are good for temporarily storing coins or shipping them for grading. Here's what they are: http://www.pcgs.com/store/p-18-safl...n-flips.aspx

Ahh, but if that is true then moderating gives you a life!

Sorry to hear about your grandmother. Yes, learning about the collection would be the best course of action. Learn as much as you can about grading, and the different coins available.

Love that dime!

And

Uh, if you find stacks of coins like this one, you just hit the lottery.
I would recommend carefully undoing the rolls and placing each one a saflip.
If they are all like the one above, you need to do a bulk submission.

You can always buy plastic coin tubes to store them in.
That's what I'd do.

Don't be afraid to handle them individually, even if Uncirculated. Unwrap them. See what there is. Depending on the degree of sweat you develop in your hands, plan on using fingernails (have none? grow some first) to grab the coins, and handle them only by the rims.

Look at what you have. This is why those who first collected them did so, so you could handle them after they were gone. That's the point of what we do here. And now you're doing the same for those who will handle them when you're gone. This is the unwritten commitment we make as collectors - as numismatists - to only be a temporary owner of what we hold. It's a long-term debt, in the truest sense of the word.

I am sorry to hear about your loss. Your grandmother had a great eye for coins and I am looking forward to seeing more from the collection.

The dime is absolutely stunning. I can see it grading MS-63. I would definitely get it certified by either PCGS or NGC though PCGS would be preferred.