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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,735 |
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Valued Member
United States
89 Posts |
i maybe overtly paranoid but I recently decided to move my coin collection to the coolest room of my house. its generally very cool but it is also pitch black. no light is present unless I take any coins out of the area. my question is: will keeping them in the void of light have any harm upon them? once I do bring them out of storage into light, will it cause any harm when light will be exposed after an certain amount of time from being in total darkness?
i'd figure those who keep their collections in the safety deposit in the banks are in darkness, but then again there is lighting from the room.
thoughts?
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Valued Member
United States
61 Posts |
Hi, I keep my coins away from the light and avoid temperature extremes and humidity. I cannot see how darkness and the absence of sunlight could in any way harm the coins.
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Valued Member
United States
320 Posts |
I wouldn't worry about that one bit. Think of all the coins stored in a safe, that's pitch black... or in the bottom of a drawer... or for that matter tucked away in a roll. I don't think light or dark matters unless you're talking bright direct sunlight all the time. Normal levels of light you'd find in a house? I can't see that making a difference. (Hah, we're talking about total darkness & I use the phrase "I can't see..." I kill me!)  |
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Valued Member
United States
376 Posts |
Coins stored in light would tone differently as opposed to those stored in the dark I would believe. Just make sure the humidity is controlled or you'll have a corrosion problem.
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Valued Member
United States
397 Posts |
If you're going to put them in the coolest room of the house, be careful with taking them into any other room. Condensation will form on pretty much everything when going from cold to hot. Warm air holds more moisture, so when it comes in contact with something cooler - the moisture condensates out of the warm air onto the cold surface (think of a big glass of iced tea on a summer day).
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
Light by itself has no effect on the coin. The heat from light sources (i.e., sunlight) will accelerate chemical reactions. Your primary concern should be moisture and chemicals. Remove moisture and chemicals and heat will not be a factor either.
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New Member
United States
16 Posts |
No light will be absolutely fine. Just make sure moisture isn't present. Because moisture + no light = mold & mildew. No one wants that.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Have you ever heard of that saying if a tree falls in a forest and there is nothing or anyone there to hear it, was a noise really made? If you shine a light inside a room with all 100% reflecting services, will the light bounce back and forth forever? If you place your coins in a room with no light, are they still there?  Maybe and maybe not. Some light itself has no effect on coins but that is visible light only. Take away all visible light and does the Infra Red or Ultra Violet light change the coins? You would need visible light to see if that is true or not and then when you use visible light, you change everything.  I keep most of my coins in safe deposit boxes and constantly go there to see if they are still there since there was no light inside those boxes. I always wonder if they all reappear when I open thoes boxes.  If you keep your coins in Folders or Albums, no light gets to them there either. That too makes me wonder if they are still there. So who keeps filling this Martini glass when I'm not looking?  After all that silly stuff, no light does not effect your coins and the change in lighting has no effect on them either. As noted though the addition of light could change the temperature and with that and any moisture, possible toning could occurr. Maybe. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
As long as the coolest room in your house is not a basement, you will be fine.
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New Member
United States
16 Posts |
Yeah, that's the general rule of thumb. No basement (too damp) and no attic (too hot) you'll be fine. Why did I get involved in this thread? I can't stand talking about NPS (numismatic paranoia syndrome)
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Valued Member
 United States
89 Posts |
thanks for all your answers. my mind can be at peace.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,735 |
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Posted 08/13/2010 03:31 am
