Posted 01/29/2009 3:12 pm
to the forum.Great place to find out almost anything. And if we don't know, someone like me will just make up something.
To start with coins will last for millions of years if no outside substance can come in contact with them. That is a little overkill though. Usually a gass will do the damage and Oxygen is just about the worst for that. If you can keep those coins in any air tight situation, they will outlast you.
As an example of overkill back in 1959 I took 6 cents and 3 dimes all brand new. layed out a layer of liquid plastic, allowed to firm up, place the coins on that, continued with more liquid plastic, added pen holders at the end. It still is on this desk and the coins still look like the day I put them in there. Since no air, gasses, liquids can get to those coins, they will be like that for a long, long, time.
I've also got well over 100 Whitman Classic Albums and each is in a Zip Lock Plastic Bag. Some of the coins are from as far back as the 40's and 50's when I started to collect. I've always known moisture and air will effect those coins so even as a kid I kept all coins from those substances and they all look the same as they did back then. The main thing is to push out as much air as possible from each Zip Lock Bag.
That vacuum sealer your talking about is a great idea. I was thinking about that myself some time ago but then I said to myself, SELF, how many times will I want to open those and then have to reseal them. So, being lazy, just never got around to that. But what your proposing is certainly a great idea. If no air, gasses, moisture can get to your coins, they will be like new long after your not.
