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 Replies: 19 / Views: 1,718 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6451 Posts |
I'm sure this question comes up occasionally, so I am happy to have links to prior discussions. I did read the sticky notes above. Since I have begun to accumulate some more valuable variety coins, I would like some advice on safe long term storage. I had originally intended to put them into 2x2 cardboard flips in blue plastic Whitman storage boxes. I had considered the Mylar 2x2 clear flips, but I have received many ebay coins with visible buildup on the plastic/Mylar from humidity or possibly chemicals in the film itself. I had three questions about my current storage arrangement. 1. Are there any downsides to cardboard flips? Are they all equivalent, or are there 2x2 flips to avoid or specific brands to seek out? 2. Staples make me nervous, so I have been closing the flips with blue painter's tape on three sides. Is there any hazard of outgassing, adhesive deterioration, et cetera from this strategy? 3. Pennsylvania isn't the jungle, but it does get humid here sometimes. Is there some sort of desiccant pack to keep in the box itself? Are there types or brands to avoid or seek out? I could easily see a dessicant pack releasing gases or particles over time. And I guess I should add: 4. I purchased PCGS plastic boxes for my slabs. Same questions as for 2 and 3. |
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Moderator
 United States
34393 Posts |
@brand, it might be useful to understand the timeline a little better. Are you thinking "long term" means months, years, or decades?
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Moderator
United States
187555 Posts |
Quote:
Are you thinking "long term" means months, years, or decades? Long term planning should always consider the next custodians of the collectibles.  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6451 Posts |
Spence, I am thinking years.
The moderately interesting varieties worth $50-150 will probably never get slabbed. The ones worth $150-250 are maybe candidates for ANACS, since they attribute the non-CPG varieties.
I am particularly concerned that no damage befall the handful of coins worth $250+ that are candidates for PCGS slabbing. I want them in great condition prior to being sent off for grading and attribution, and I want somewhere safe to keep the returned slabs on the order of decades (for the ones I collect) or months and years (for the ones I will sell).
Then again, if I allow many $25-50 coins to be damaged by improper storage, that could ruin considerable financial value, spoil my collection, and render them less useful for analysis.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7273 Posts |
Storage depends a lot on what you mean by long term. Most of my low cost items are stored in these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-5...18/313861296Home Depot has various sizes. They are sealed and water proof, I also include one of these that I recharge as needed: https://www.amazon.com/Improved-Eva.../B000H0XFCS/I have a bunch of those. For my higher value items, all are in a high quality fireproof safe that I had aired out for a few months. All are also with dessicant. The safe has some residual humidity as the desiccant needs to recharged about every 2-3 months the ones in the husky go 6 months. All my coins are either slabbed, in an album or in an non reactive plastic case. I no longer have any coins in a paper 2 by 2 other than low value foreign coins. Anything of value (silver/numismatic) is in a mylar flip. The currency is all in Mylar flips. These were coins I had extra's of, but were recently sold.  This is my paper storage.  I'm pretty certain the above storage would last for a few decades but you should have climate control and keep water away from the locations. Anything longer than that would entail having your heirs maintain it. But honestly unless the coins are super high value and super high grade, as long as they are kept dry they will be good. I recently helped a neighbor dispose of her fathers collection, they were stored in an unheated/uncooled attic in a plastic storage box for over 30 years. The mint state coins still looked mint state the paper was fine (I wouldn't recommend storing paper currency in an attic), but it wasn't damaged, it lost some of its crispness, but it was still high grade. The silver/gold coins looked liked when they went in. Moisture is probably the number 1 enemy of coins/paper. Edited by hfjacinto
08/06/2025 12:14 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7273 Posts |
For slabs, I started using these cases: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TK465RGThis is my Indian Head cent collection.  Here is a set in OGP, slabs and mylar.  I've been a collector since I was 7, going on 49 years and my collection mostly looks the same as when I got them. I use better methods now but I never let the coins/currency get wet. As for slabs, coins inside will last decades, I have several Anacs Soapboxes that are close to or over 30 years old.  Edited by hfjacinto
08/06/2025 12:23 pm
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Moderator
United States
94666 Posts |
Here in Phoenix, we don't really have that much to worry about moisture. we live in an oven year round.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7273 Posts |
Quote:
. Here in Phoenix, we don't really have that much to worry about moisture. we live in an oven year round. John, since it's so hot does the heat damage the coins? |
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Moderator
United States
187555 Posts |
Coins alone should be able take the dry heat. However, I would worry about storage—albums, holders, etc. Their materials may break down in really high heat and cause damage. So, I would be running the AC there, even if it has to be on 85°F just to keep from going broke.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7273 Posts |
Quote:
Coins alone should be able take the dry heat. However, I would worry about storage—albums, holders, etc. Their materials may break down in really high heat and cause damage. So, I would be running the AC there, even if it has to be on 85°F just to keep from going broke Thinking the same thing, at 100*+ in an attic, the glue must start to liquify. Plastic will even melt at over 100 and the ground in AZ can get over 160*. So I guess if in a really hot area don't store coins in an attic. |
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Moderator
United States
187555 Posts |
Yes. Attics and basements are really bad places unless there is some sort of climate control.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
Cool, Dark and Dry is what you want for storage. Gold is the least likely metal to have issues, silver, next with primarily toning or tarnishing issues. Copper and bronze are the most susceptible to elemental issues, such as color changing, corrosion, verdigris, etc. I've never had issues with my 2x2 Mylar flips and I staple them as well, though the staples are flat cinched and if needed squeezed with pliers. It is a cost-effective storage method in my case of a thousand or so lower grade Two Cent varieties. My better coins (copper) all live in cotton sleeves inside archival paper envelopes. A few are in Intercept holders. Take the 2x2 storage box and place it in a Tupperware or Ziploc bag with a pack of desiccant. Remember to check in on your coins every few months or at a minimum of 6 months, to recharge or change the desiccant packs. I have moved from a very dry climate (Denver) to a much wetter climate of San Diego (Salt water), then Texas (lots of humidity). Coins in my safe also have additional moisture removal tubs I check on fairly regularly; coins in the bank deposit box just have large desiccant pouches, which I switch out every couple of months. Checking in on your coins is a good thing, as if issues start you may have time to stop them. I lost a very nice Indian Head cent collection and high end Lincoln Cent set when I went off to college and just stored my collections away. They were in Harco PVC albums. All my nicer red coins were now brown and stained or pitted with acid that had etched into the coins due to the poor designed albums, see my story here: https://goccf.com/t/370336One thing I've learned over many years is food safe storage is likely fine for coins as well, (no guarantees though) That's why I said use Tupperware tubs as storage areas, never had any issues myself over 40 years or so now. "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2˘ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440Edited by westcoin
08/13/2025 12:47 am
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Moderator
Australia
16806 Posts |
Quote:
1. Are there any downsides to cardboard flips? Are they all equivalent, or are there 2x2 flips to avoid or specific brands to seek out? They're mostly all Made In China these days, so quality can be random, even for 2x2s sold under the same "brand", as they may have been made at different times and places. Quote:
2. Staples make me nervous, so I have been closing the flips with blue painter's tape on three sides. Is there any hazard of outgassing, adhesive deterioration, et cetera from this strategy? If you're going to be staple-avoidant, you may as well spend the extra money and buy self-adhesive flips. Anything adhesive is a potential outgasser as it ages; as with the flips themselves, it's a matter of trial and error. Quote:
3. Pennsylvania isn't the jungle, but it does get humid here sometimes. Is there some sort of desiccant pack to keep in the box itself? Are there types or brands to avoid or seek out? I could easily see a dessicant pack releasing gases or particles over time. Get yourself some self-indicating silica gel. The typical formula contains cobalt chloride, which is blue when dry and pink when wet. The indicating crystals not only tell you when they're wet (and thus need refreshing), but also help you in the refreshing stage: put pink silica gel in a cool oven (less than boiling) until the crystals all turn blue again. Raw silica gel is mostly harmless but cobalt chloride is toxic, so don't eat them. Neither silica gel, nor cobalt chloride, will outgas. In my experimentation, indicating silica gel is harmless to coins unless the pieces of gel are in direct physical contact with the coins. Avoid doing that, and you should be golden. Quote:
4. I purchased PCGS plastic boxes for my slabs. Same questions as for 2 and 3. The boxes cannot be made of the same acrylic as the slabs, because putting two similar plastics together is always a bad idea, as they tend to stick together with time and/or pressure - this is why plastic bottle caps are always made from a dissimilar plastic to the bottle itself. But I'm sure the slab-box plastic has undergone the same rigorous testing to be coin-safe as the slabs themselves. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Moderator
United States
187555 Posts |
Quote:
quality can be random, even for 2x2s sold under the same "brand", as they may have been made at different times and places. This.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6451 Posts |
This is a very educational thread. Here is what I have gathered so far:
Coins should be stored in Mylar and cardboard flips. Due to everything being made in China these days, brand name is not necessarily a guarantee of top notch quality. The self-adhesive flips could possibly outgas, and my painter's tape is maybe not a great idea, so I should probably just get comfortable with stapling flips the proper way.
It's fine to store 2x2 flips in plastic boxes. Same with slabs. Nothing but the flips and slabs go in the boxes.
The 2x2 storage boxes should go into a Tupperware container.
Desiccant packs should be placed in the Tupperware. They shouldn't be near the coins themselves. You can buy self-indicating packs that turn from blue to pink when they absorb moisture. These can be gently dried in the oven and reused.
The Tupperware container should be stored somewhere dark, cool, and dry. The desiccant packs should be checked every few months.
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Moderator
United States
187555 Posts |
That is a good summary.  |
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Replies: 19 / Views: 1,718 |
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Posted 08/06/2025 10:36 am
