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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,242 |
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New Member
United States
23 Posts |
Hi all,
It's only recently I've given free rein to my natural interest in numismatic medals and other exonumia, and one challenge I've run into is storage when cases and COAs are involved.
I recently picked up a nice silver piedfort from the 80s that came in a plastic, felt-lined case with a paper COA resting on top of it.
For relatively the relatively low value medals I have that have come with cases, I've tended to put the medal in an air tite or lighthouse medal holder and stick the case in a box with my loupes, bags of 2x2s, etc.
But in this case, it feels like the case and COA are actually adding value and ideally I'd like to keep them together. However, my concern would be that the environment inside the case: greater exposure to air, the felt, the exposure to paper, might tone or otherwise discolor the coin, PLUS, I'd be worried about it picking up fingerprints whenever I showed it to anybody.
What do you do?
Thanks and happy holiday weekend for those in the States!
Nat
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CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives
 United States
12257 Posts |
You don't mention how large the medal is, so my suggestion may not be applicable...
It sounds like you have a roughly coin-sized proof medal that is sitting unprotected in a felt-lined case. If this is the case, I would get it in a capsule ASAP. I've found that most of the cases my medals have come in are large enough (i.e., have a large enough interior height) to store a medal in a capsule. It may no longer fit in the well meant for the medal, but the medal will be far better protected and maintain its appearance over the long term - this solution also keeps the medal, case and COA together.
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Because medals and their cases are of great variation in size, they do not lend themselves to convenient storage in an album.
Grading in a slab for larger medals in their case is impossible; you must learn to grade for yourself.
Individual clip lock polyethylene bags of appropriate size, are the best defense against atmospheric degradation, with, or without, cases, for each medal.
You may wish to include a small silica get packet in each clip lock bag.
I store my medals in a metal clip lock case separate from my coin collection. I was lucky enough to pick it up for cheap from a neighborhood garage sale.
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New Member
 United States
23 Posts |
Many thanks for the feedback!
Some useful suggestions here that I hadn't thought of.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1610 Posts |
I can certainly confirm the idea of removing from an open felt case ASAP. I've seen proof coins kept in open felt cases that are fingerprinted and covered with hideous toning while their contemporary mates that were left in the plastic seal are like the day they left the mint.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1610 Posts |
Quote:
It's only recently I've given free rein to my natural interest in numismatic medals and other exonumia
Curious.... Divorce, widow or lottery win? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4415 Posts |
An exonumia fan, myself, I've taken to using wooden cigar boxes for some of my stuff. I've also utilized a number of antique wooden chests for many years, some of which I outfitted with trays to house materials. From what I've seen over a forty year span, coins, medals and tokens housed in wood have retained their original look.
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Moderator
United States
95018 Posts |
Is it possible to get a few images of this item and its storage unit?
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New Member
United States
23 Posts |
None of the above! Not that I'd likely reveal a lottery win ...  Really, not anything more than a slightly YOLO-informed willingness to bid just a little bit higher a little bit more often  We'll see where it takes me! |
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New Member
United States
23 Posts |
I'll see if I can get some pics together. I have ended up ordering some extra deep air tites for the time being, which I guess are intended for those Queen's Beasts rounds. Hoping they fit — both the coin and the case!
Thank you for all the continued feedback and insights!
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,242 |
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Posted 07/01/2022 10:34 pm
