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Replies: 34 / Views: 5,795 |
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Moderator
 United States
187862 Posts |
Quote: The blue/brown Uni-Safe albums contain PVC... They continue to sell these albums and people continue to buy them as they are the cheapest ones available for Canadian collectors and it is easy to get coins in and out of them. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe they changed the pages to another material that was too brittle; over time the pages cracked or pockets separated, allowing the coin to move around. I need to do a search...  Either way, a product worth avoiding.
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New Member
 Canada
12 Posts |
Unfortunately, the Kaskade albums didn't seem like they'd work for most of my collection, since I mainly collect world coins and it seem like Kaskade only makes albums meant for specific types of coins. I couldn't find anything good on Amazon, and the guy at the coin shop I normally go to said the only other PVC-free things the store had were Unisafe pages meant to be used with flips or 2x2s, so I ended up having to get those and some flips (the kind that fold in half and have a place to put a paper with info about the coin on the opposite side as the coin, also Unisafe.) The flips were a harder plastic, but when I opened the pack of pages, they had a PVC smell and were more flexible. If they did have PVC, would they be able to affect coins through the flips? I'd assume they wouldn't, but I've heard about it affecting coins through 2x2s, so I figured I should probably ask, just in case. I also had some questions about acetone. Is just a quick dip in and out good enough to remove the residue from the coins, or should I leave them in for a while? How often should I change the acetone? Is it safe for colourized coins like some Canadian commemoratives, or could it remove the colour? How much acetone should I get for around 400-500 coins?
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Moderator
 United States
187862 Posts |
I am not sure. If the PVC-plasticizer breakdown is gaseous it could certainly invade any holder that was not air tight. However, I do not know enough about the reaction and if the resultant fluid is anything beyond liquid (goo).
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Moderator
 United States
187862 Posts |
Okay, I found a reply in this topic. Quote: When two pieces of plastic are pressed into contact with each other - such as, a coin in a 2x2, inside an album page, inside a thick heavy coin album that's on the bottom of a stack of coin albums - any plasticizers present can migrate between the two pieces of plastic. Most of you have probably had the experience of a 2x2 that gets "stuck" inside a coin album, and when you eventually prise it out, the 2x2 is noticeably "sticky"? That's what's happened, some plasticizer from the album page has seeped into the 2x2 film.
It's usually harmless, with the only "damage" being cosmetic damage to the 2x2. But if the album page is PVC (or the plasticizer is otherwise acidic), then the acidic plasticizer can migrate into the film of the 2x2. Whether it makes it all the way through the film and onto your coin, depends on two things: the temperature and on how long the two pieces of plastic remain in contact.
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New Member
 Canada
12 Posts |
Quote: Okay, I found a reply in this topic. Thanks, I appreciate your help.
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Moderator
 United States
187862 Posts |
You are welcome, as always. 
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Valued Member
Canada
57 Posts |
By coincidence, yesterday, I just opened a box of 1000 brand new 2x2's of various sizes. There certainly is an off gas that is still quite apparent today. Now what might that be if, as you say, the 2x2's aren't PVC?
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Moderator
 United States
187862 Posts |
Does it smell like a brand new shower curtain? Because paper products (cardboard, etc.) have their own "new car" smell. As long as it is not "eggy" (sulfur) you should be okay.
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Valued Member
Canada
57 Posts |
Thanks for that info. I was relieved to find that the 2x2's don't have the new shower curtain odour. However with this knowledge, I investigated further with my nose and was disappointed to find ALL of my 2x2 binder pages reek of shower curtain. So, now what? I feel I might have to change all these pages. Where can I get these pages with no PVC? Is there such a thing? It seems I have my work cut out for me if I opt to change them all. But I see no other option.
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Valued Member
Canada
57 Posts |
I also might add, that I did remove a few of the coins from some of the 2x2's that had been inserted into the PVC pages for a number of years. There definitely is a gooey film on the coins. So the theory that the PVC is permeating through the 2x2 is certainly valid.
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Moderator
 United States
187862 Posts |
Ouch.  You may want to rinse those coins in some pure acetone to get rid of the goo and put into new 2x2 holders. As for pages, here are examples of PVC free variety. Keep in mind they may be a bit stiffer than ones made with PVC. More care is needed with inserting holders. https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Stora...p/B00AFJNBQQhttps://www.amazon.com/BCW-20-Pocke...p/B002KDNAU2There are others. The key is to look for "PVC free" or similar on the label or descriptions. If it does not go out of the way to mention it, is should be assumed they are made with PVC.
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Valued Member
Canada
57 Posts |
Thankyou very much for the info. I checked both links. The first one is not available. The reviews on the second one indicate that they are actually only 10 pocket. You can put 2 2x2's in one pocket. HUH? Back to the drawing board. I found Lighthouse pages. The ad does not provide info on material. I messaged them asking for that. Will wait for an answer. I suspect it's Lighthouse pages I have now. I really need to throw this question out there. If it has been known for some time now that PVC damages coins then why are people still peddling this stuff?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
876 Posts |
So if I do not want this problem, which albums do you recommend?
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I still use PVC album pages, despite all of their storage problems, for coins that are valued at less than (say) $2 each, especially for copper nickel coins.
For more valuable coins, I never stray away from pages made from either polypropylene or Mylar.
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Valued Member
Canada
57 Posts |
Quote: For more valuable coins, I never stray away from pages made from either polypropylene or Mylar. OK. Any suggestions where to get these?
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Replies: 34 / Views: 5,795 |