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 Replies: 21 / Views: 8,030 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3486 Posts |
I am placing this topic here because it covers both classic and modern coins. It is a problem that I have faced and today when I went browsing on ebay (an exercise in futility) I found an example which I would like to share. Older Whitman folders had what I can only describe as 'glue' in the openings for coins:  Examine the openings for the dimes and you will see it. If ANY humidity* were present during storage the coins would stick to the backing and an image or 'bits of glue and paper' would stick to the reverse of the coin. The result - an heretofore, to my knowledge, unmentioned form of environmental damage. The ebay offering was for a partial set of dimes in very low condition. Any damage would render the coins fit only for melt. Such ebay offerings as this are to be suspect. * My great aunt, having been burglarized, moved her coins UNDER a floor board UNDER the sink! The Roosevelt dimeswere on the bottom of the stack and took to worst hit. Posted for what value it has. |
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Moderator
 United States
188213 Posts |
It is glue.
Think about how the folders are made and how the adhesive is applied.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3486 Posts |
My thought: the entire paper backing had glue and no thought was given to the consequences that the exposure would cause the reverses of the coins.
Newer folders do/did not have this problem.
New collectors may never have seen this before so I thought I'd mentioned it here.
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
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My thought: the entire paper backing had glue and no thought was given to the consequences that the exposure would cause the reverses of the coins. Correct. At the time, it was easier to apply the adhesive to the paper instead of the cardboard. This was to avoid having it drip into the holes preventing coins from fitting. Quote:
Newer folders do/did not have this problem. I think the adhesive and/or process evolved to allow application to the punched cardboard without having excess adhesive collect in the holes. Quote:
New collectors may never have seen this before so I thought I'd mentioned it here. No problem. A worthy topic.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
632 Posts |
A different gripe I have is that I personally hate how some of the whitman folders will put that perforated filler circle in there for the rare coins. Once I fill up the folder it just seems like a vacancy there that will never get filled of feel complete. Really whitman? Is it necessary to include a spot for a coin that's worth a million dollars? Think someday we'll pick one up for ourselves, pick that little circle out of your $3.50 folder and put it in there? It's just a waste of a spot.
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
It does seem a little mean spirited in a way.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Oddly enough companies like Whitman had many thanks for the glue in the rear of the slots. The reason was so many of the coins for those slots were worn so they would just fall out. Many people would spit or someway wet that glue and the coins would then stay in place. If you look at many of the newer Folders you would see that there is still some glue in those slots. Maybe not as much as in the past but the slotted pages still have glue on them when placed on the paper and it slowly moves a small amount to the rear of the slots.
Just remember that this is only one reason but one big one for why real collectors use Albums.
The combination of no sight of coins rear too makes for using a Folder less appealing. And having to push hard on a coin to get it into a slot too, makes Folders less appealing.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1192 Posts |
I got a Buffalo nickel folder when I was a kid and was super sad that I couldn't see the back for the mint mark. I was just steered towards flips. I wish someone had shown me albums haha. Even though they were expensive I sure would had whined for one and maybe would had kept my collecting going. Though State Quarters were the death bell for me :) and ironically my first album. Knowing it was impossible to fill in the holes until I was in college was super sad for a 12 year old lol. |
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
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I wish someone had shown me albums haha. I used Whitman folders when I was a kid. I had several of them. One day my grandfather took me to a coin shop where I was introduced to Dansco albums; he bought me my first two that day and I never looked back.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2850 Posts |
My grandfather had a bunch of these old Whitman folders and quite a few of them were complete -- He even had some old green ones and a few copyrighted back to 1940. Unfortunately, being stored in the basement caused some issues and a lot of the coins now have environmental damage. I have gone through the measures to try and preserve them as best as I can and I have moved a lot of the more expensive sets (Peace dollar, Morgan dollar, etc.) into Dansco albums where they now reside. Some of the Peace dollars even had writing across the obverse from where the extra sheet with mintage information had been pressing up against them for who knows how long. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
604 Posts |
I remember those old Whitman folders too. As a pre-teen in the seventies, those were all I could afford. Then my parents gave me a Dansco album (around 1979) for a Christmas present. Wow! After that, I was doing extra chores around the house to save up enough for another album!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7375 Posts |
I still like old "gassed out" crispy Whitman folders for low grade circulated sets. Will have to keep an eye out for the glue issue though. Thanks for posting.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11951 Posts |
I agree there was a lot of problems with the old blue folders. Not only the glue. I never liked how hard it was to press coins into the holes. And then it seemed like the coin would not stay in the holes. Like many others here I am a big fan of Dansco albums. I do have to say folders can be fun for circulated coin sets. Whitman did have the premium green folders, I have some .. somewhere. But because I like Dansco albums, I recently picked up a Dansco folder. I thought it would be a good addition to my collection. Just took a picture putting my first coin in. Notice, no glue in the holes.    |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11951 Posts |
Forgot to say
Any album or folder, that is stored in a to humid or
a too dry area will not hold up and could harm your coins.
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
Quote:
I remember those old Whitman folders too. As a pre-teen in the seventies, those were all I could afford. Then my parents gave me a Dansco album (around 1979) for a Christmas present. Wow!
After that, I was doing extra chores around the house to save up enough for another album! Sounds familiar! My grandfather bought me the Eisenhower and Kennedy Dansco albums. I worked my paper route and saved to get my Lincoln Cent album shortly after. Quote:
But because I like Dansco albums, I recently picked up a Dansco folder. Very nice! More proof they exist. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
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I still like old "gassed out" crispy Whitman folders for low grade circulated sets. Will have to keep an eye out for the glue issue though. Thanks for posting. However, remember how exposed to things those Folders make coins. For example it is so easy for people to touch the coins. A sneeze or cough while open too puts STUFF on coins. Although no Album is water proof, Folders have coins completely open to the elements. |
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Replies: 21 / Views: 8,030 |
Posted 04/20/2015 2:08 pm
