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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,720 |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
312 Posts |
Afternoon all,
One of my friends that works alongside me is a craftsman and is very skilled at woodworking. He has recently finished making his own chessboard/table/pieces, which I might add are quite phenomenal.
I mentioned to him about making me a storage box for slabbed coins recently and we've been discussing it at length. I know I can get one of those off the shelf boxes etc, but I wanted something that had a certain 'specialness' about it, like a one of a kind.
I have done a little research into woods used in coin cabinets etc, and it seems that the overwhelming choice is Mahogany due to fact that it doesn't release gasses(?) which could affect the coins. According to my friend, Mahogany is now on the CITES list which means that getting any would be more difficult than before. So he has suggested re-purposing wood from some old, unwanted Mahogany furniture from somewhere.
So my question is really this, if coins are slabbed, would the choice of wood have any bearing on the well being of the coins? I think I read that slabs from NGC and PCGS are sonically sealed but not airtight, so is there the possibility that the coins could be affected if a different type of wood such as Oak was used, however remote that possibility may be?
Sorry if in the wrong forum, so please move it mods if necessary.
Much obliged.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
Funny you mention that, I was just looking at this site last night and thinking of making an order soon as the shop is not far from my home. http://cabinetsbycraig.net/He is an EAC and C4 member and a talented woodworker. You might get some ideas from his site of just order if the price is better. The hard part would be the forstner bit drill work and cutting out all the holes, knowing the safest adhesives and finishes to use for the fabric with coins. "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Valued Member
 United Kingdom
312 Posts |
Thanks Westcoin.
I've just had a quick look before tea, and his cabinets looks lovely.
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Moderator
 United States
34396 Posts |
@west, I think your comment is right on the mark with regard to the selection of the adhesive and finish being more important than the wood itself. With that said, I'm no wood-worker, so maybe I'm inappropriately minimizing that risk.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Valued Member
Canada
54 Posts |
How big a box are you thinking of making? Do you want the slabs separated?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
24977 Posts |
Wow, westcoin, those cabinetsbycraig are fantastic!!!
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Moderator
United States
15394 Posts |
I would advise staying away from any only woods such as cocobolo, rosewood etc. Mahogany is obviously the traditional choice but becoming more difficult to obtain from sustainable choices.
@ westcoin - those cabinets look great. As a professional woodworker myself I can appreciate the effort it takes to build them and am surprised by the relatively low price.
Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5239 Posts |
This really harkens back to the traditional era of coin collecting, when things seemed to be much simpler...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
I just ran across a whole bunch of coin cabinets up for auction, unfortunately they are all in the United Kingdom, so shipping would be exorbitant making them cost way more than they are worth. All are used and have slight flaws such as felt missing or pulling up, minor warped doors missing minor hardware, etc., nothing that couldn't be fixed rather easily with a bit of work and ingenuity. Seems like the main area of use was in Europe and from the Victorian era through the 1970 and 80's, now days I think more collectors choose flips and boxes due to size and space limitations as well as security both from the elements and thieves
Definitely from an era of traditional collecting times much simpler and prices more accessible to all.
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Hard plastic storage boxes specifically for slabs are available from numismatic supplies businesses.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,720 |
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Posted 09/02/2022 11:29 am
