Moving A Coin Collection

If you really have 50k worth and you are leery of transporting it yourself, then I would recommend hiring the services of an armored carrier, like Brinks or Loomis.

IMO, this is not something you'd want to ship. You've spent, most likely, years accumulating this, and I would think it's worth more than just money to you.

Sure if it gets lost in the mail you'd be reimbursed, but it wouldn't be the same. You wouldn't have your coins back.

I would think that driving them would be ideal. If you're willing to pay for a round-trip flight just to get them, surely you can afford to take a friend with you, or possibly hire a security person to make the trip with you. $50K is not chump change.

Either that or just travel main roads during the day, and bunk up for the night at first signs of darkness. I'd want to be out in the open in bright sunshine with this stuff on the road, just in case you did get pulled over.

Heck, you could even stop by some small-town banks on the route and pick up some boxes of rolled coins. I hear those are the best places to CRH.

Well, I can quell one worry if you drive them yourself (valid in USA). If the cop wants to search your car, tell him no. If you do not consent to his searching your car, and you don't have something like a gun or drugs in plain sight, he can not legally search your vehicle. Of course, my worry would be a traffic accident. Is short term insurance available for something like this perhaps?

I've always felt that the best security for my coins is to hide them in plain sight. For long term storage, I just put stuff in boxes in my garage and cover the boxes in a jumble of empty boxes. Nobody would ever suspect there's anything there. You could just put them in boxes labeled "dishes" and put a few dishes on top and move them in your car. The more you sweat it and make a big deal, the more others think its a big deal.

Just load 'em into your car with a bunch of other stuff and drive. No way I'd trust them to anyone but myself. I'm a concealed carry permit holder so I'd be packing in case anyone tried to rob me. I'd probably bring my brother for the ride too since he also has a CC permit. Just make sure you have insurance on the coins and that they'll cover them while in transit. You shouldn't have any problems.

Last time I moved, I moved the coin collection myself. It was in non-descript beer boxes I had labeled CC1, CC2,(Coin collection 1, 2,...) and everything was taped securely, and lots of packing materials inside. I did not trust for one minute that the movers would pack it and move it without anything missing.

Drive them if you can. You may want to check with your auto/homeowner's insurance company to find out what your personal property limits are in the unlikely event that the unthinkable happens and your stuff gets stolen, and see if you can get a rider to cover the value over the standard policy amount. And don't get too paranoid if you can help it.

I moved from California to Nevada, which ended up being a short distance of 250 miles. Since I was moved by my company, they took care of everything: packing, loading, transporting, and unloading. Everything was insured but I didn't want to take a chance with my valuables, including my unorganized coin hoard. Those things were loaded in my car and I drove them myself.

If you drive then just keep your car locked when you stop for food, a restroom break, a gas, etc. While certainly possible if you think long and hard about it, you're chances of being car jacked or having your car stolen are pretty low. If a cop does pull you over and does search your car then I don't think he'd get as flipped out by a $50k coin collection as he would a suitcase full of $50k in $20 bills or 50kg of cocaine. The officer may be surprised and you may have to explain that you're moving. Perhaps the worst that he can do is call in the station and ask if anyone has reported a missing coin collection. Once any suspicion is cleared then I don't think there's much he can do but take some time to ask you to show him your coins so he can admire them. :-) Better yet, just drive conservatively and defensively.

If you take it on a plane then, yes, you will be searched but without any cause or suspicion there's nothing the authorities can do. They won't confiscate it. Take what you can in your carry on. Put the rest in a suitcase and pad it with clothes. Who would suspect what's inside your case when it reaches the conveyor belt at the arriving airport? Will the TSA steal it? Unlikely. The last thing they need is some bad PR by you suing them for $50k of lost coins.

Insuring them is a good thing. Take as many photos of your coins for your own records too. biokemist6 gave some good advice on using an armored transport like Brinks. They move way more than $50k at a time.

If you feel too nervous moving it now then stick it in a bank with a safety deposit box. Move into your new home. Then come back and move your collection when you feel more comfortable and things are a bit less hectic.

I think you'll be OK. Just don't fret about it too much but don't doddle along as you make your way over to your new home.

-- Boris