2 X 2 Coin Flips - Question On Using

I use staples to seal two sides of a flip. No need on the side that doesn't open. I keep a pliers handy to flatten the staples. Easy and no need to buy separate stuff.

to CCF
I like using staples. I use a quality bullnose plier. Flattening the staples does at least five functions.


1. It makes 2x2's easier to insert, into and remove from non PVC pages and does not leave ugly raised evidence in the pages of staple bumps.

2. In storage boxes, I can fit more coins inside since they are flatter.

3. Stapling and flattening the staples probably reduces the amount of external air that could reach the coin inside and help prevent environmental issues.

4. Of course, the staples being flush with the 2x2 will not disturb or damage a neighboring coin if they come in contact through the windows in the 2x2.

5. I believe when I squeeze down the staples, in most cases, it spreads the window over the rim enough to almost always raise and stretch the window off the surface of the coin.

These have been my tools for many thousand staplings. You get good at it. Be careful that you buy a quality stapler that won't overhang and damage the coin.
Use quality staples!
Practice with your stapler on a folded cereal box cardboard first before damaging your coins. Learn where the nose of your stapler closes and how close to the cardboard it stops in relation to the windows.

My equipment

so no one uses coin flips that are self adhesive? Is that because of cost or some other reason - like can't get them open in the future? Or are the self adhesive flips just not quality enough? I really appreciate the feed back. It seems stapling is the majority approach............Farm1942...........thanks.

Many people use the self adhesive flips, but I've encountered two problems with them.

First, at least in some instances (probably in the less expensive ones), the adhesives weaken over time, causing air exposure and possible coin loss.

Second, they seem to be very problematic on larger coins because of the smaller adhesive area and the increased weight of the coin. The failure rate on these flips for half and dollar coins seems very high.

This topic was moved to the appropriate forum for the proper attention.

I use the self-adhesive type, if available. There are three downsides to self-adhesive 2x2s:
- Single use only;
- More expensive than regular 2x2s;
- For some brands of self-adhesive 2x2, the sticky stuff goes off over time, making it less sticky - so you end up having to use staples anyway.

Dealers often like using self-adhesive 2x2s because they look cleaner, and dealers don;t have to worry about constantly taking the coins out to have a look at them more closely.

I personally wouldn't trust sticky-tape anywhere near a coin. The adhesives in self-adhesive 2x2s have (presumably!) been tested with coins. Stickytape hasn't; who knows what chemical vapours are being emitted as the stickytape degrades. Stickytape always "goes off" within a decade, looking unsightly.

Try using a pair of tweezers to bend the staple and then pull it out.