Thread: I need advice on moving my coin collection outside of US

Hello everyone, my name is Chris and I have been a coin collector for ten years. My question today is the following, I have been offered a job in Eastern Europe and I am very stressed because of my coin collection. I have to ship several completed sets of Morgan Silver dollars, Silver American Eagles and 5,000 other raw silver coins.
How can I take my collection with me, and are there restrictions on this issue? I have contacted USPS and other shippers and no one has been able to provide a clear answer. I am counting on my fellow numismatist's to help me with this, I will decline this job if I cannot take my collection with me. I need your help folks, please.
Thank you all in advance for your courtesy and help.

This job outside the US is permanent?

(Welcome to the forum)

Yes this job is permanent, I have been laid off for two years and this is the first offer since. Again, I am an active collector and I do not trust leaving it in a bank vault.

Wow. I really can't help with advice but I'm sure that someone who does know something will chime in soon. You raise a very interesting question. I wonder if there are any private concerns who deal exclusively in the shipping of valuables such as coin collections and works of art. I wouldn't trust the postal service or any of the European postal services as well.

Can't you just take it along with you on your luggage?

Perhaps someone like this? http://www.racineberkow.com/transport_services.php

Luggage is physically checked previous to departure on all international flights. My collection would only
become a TSA agent's early retirement plan.

Thank you I will give them a call,

Originally Posted by Detecto

Can't you just take it along with you on your luggage?

Do you realize how much luggage gets lost at airports? Sometimes stolen or accidentally picked up by someone else?

As to the OPs question, dealers came into the ANA show at Rosemont last summer and they had a FedEx booth set up right there. Some shipped their entire inventory there which Im sure was in the millions. FedEx ships them but dont know about an over seas shipment. Its got to be about the same process plus some customs fees and paperwork. Thats the scary part.

Well I am going to continue to check around, if I cannot take it, I will decline the job offer.

I would either leave it with parents, a trusted sibling, or a SDB with a few years prepaid. Sorry, but I simply foresee reimportation issues, VAT issues, or similar bringing this much stuff overseas long term.

Thank you I appreciate your input, I am very much adamant about my collection due to the time, money and effort in building my sets. I need this job, however, my collection are like children to me and difficult to entrust to anyone. I will continue to research this dilemma and share my results with everyone.

Originally Posted by Detecto

Can't you just take it along with you on your luggage?

Really? Re-read the OP then re-think your question. You may have to repeat these instructions a few times before you get it, though.

First, welcome to the neighborhood, Chris!

Have you checked with DHL Global Services. I know they shipp overseas, and you can even have it delivered overnight. The only thing I'm unsure of is the restrictions for insurance purposes.

Chris

Originally Posted by chris58

Well I am going to continue to check around, if I cannot take it, I will decline the job offer.

If you've been unemployed for 2 years now and really need a job, I'd say don't decline due to your coin collection. Call TSA and the airline you plan to fly on about their rules on carrying these on the flight with you (not checking them in to get potentially lost).

Also, you should be able to send these via postal carrier, just make sure you have paperwork proving their worth and insure them. People send coins all the time through sales, probably not whole collections but it's allowed. Just check with the carriers, etc.