What is the best Coin Album as far as quality?

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by acsf89, Sep 23, 2010.

  1. acsf89

    acsf89 New Member

    Pretty much...im starting a collection and I
    want a really good album where I can store
    my coins and keep them safe without damaging them

    so I was wondering...if you had to choose an album,
    what brand would it be???

    Littleton Album
    Dansco Album
    Whitman Album

    I was leaning towards dansco...but i'm not too sure
    let me know your opinion or if there's any more
    albums out there that are A+++ quality...

    thanks
    -Acsf89
     
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  3. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Since it is impossible to even place 1 coin in an album, any album, with out causing harm to the coin, no album is ever recommended.
     
  4. coin-crazy

    coin-crazy Senior Error Searcher

    Wow I thought albums was the best thing
    to place coins in , now im kind of confused about buying one myself..
     
  5. acsf89

    acsf89 New Member

    wow im soo suprised...I never knew that...
    and to think I want to put my raw coins in albums
    what kind of harm it would do?? would silver react to the material?
     
  6. desertgem

    desertgem Senior Errer Collecktor

    But, if you just must have the coins in an album ( some get their most enjoyment from showing others) this would be the closest. I recognize, like GDJMSP that no album is perfectly safe, but many are worse than others. These are just slightly more expensive, but should reduce bad effects to a bare minimum of normal.

    http://www.brent-krueger.com/ishield.html

    Jim
     
  7. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Think for a minute, how do you get a coin into an album ? You have to push the coin down into the hole with your fingers.

    Now what is the one thing you never want to do to a coin ? Touch the surface. Thus it is impossible to even get a coin into an album without doing harm to the coin.

    And that's just how you start out. Then you have to worry about album slide marks for as long as that coin is in the album.
     
  8. desertgem

    desertgem Senior Errer Collecktor

    Doug is correct in that you have to push the coin into the album. But not necessarily with your finger in contact with the coin. I first "open" the hole a little by inserting a "sacrifice" coin of the same size a few times so the hole is correct for the "good" coin, then I insert the good coin pushing with a newly unfolded non PVC flip. I expect the clean mylar film in a 2x2 would work also. Wear on the edges from slides can occur if the coin is not in the center of the holes, but such wear can also occur from any holder such as a non-pvc flip that has contact.

    Doug has hit it right that most beginners faced with an album will mis-insert the coin and use their bare hands, but they would also botch putting the coin into almost any holder including the favorite ( it seems ) air-tite.



     
  9. RedTiger

    RedTiger Member

    All three are decent albums. Danscos are probably currently the most popular. For circulated coins, a careful collector will do fine with any of the three brands of albums. Some collectors use cotton gloves when handling coins and inserting them, also be careful with the slides. The disclaimer is that for high grade uncirculated coins (or even some high grade circulated coins), and proofs, albums are not the best, though some use them. While it may be true that many novices mishandle raw coins while using albums, mishandling also happens with other popular long term storage options such as air tites, or capital brand holders, or anything else.
     
  10. acsf89

    acsf89 New Member

    wow thank you very much for all the great information....I might buy dansco
    but ill check out the Ishield that desertgem recommended....
    I mean I have all these raw barbers and I want to display them
    so I can show my family and future family...but im still too young for that lol...
    but thanks again for the info...

    -acsf89
     
  11. Numis-Addicta

    Numis-Addicta New Member

    If you are collecting modern coins in proof and uncirculated plastic holders, for example, they are better off left in the holders. The US Mint sells collector boxes to store the plastic holders.

    If you are collecting standing liberty quarters on eBay, for example, they are going to come to you in any form from loose in the envelope, scotch taped to a 3"x5" card, being folded inside strips from handy shopping flyers, stapled into cardboard holders, or, best of all, being in slabs (from the top grading services).

    Once you have your coins, you have to store/display them in something.

    - If they are slabbed or in original mint holders, leave them as they are.
    - If you put them in coin flips, I would worry about them sliding around inside the pocket and also about possible damage from non-archival quality plastic.
    - If you put them in cardboard coin holders (2"x2") that you have to staple, you need to watch out for scratches or punctures from other stapled holders. Using a flat-clinch stapler helps to lesson damage from other stapled holders.
    - You can put the cardboard coin holders or plastic flips in the clear vinyl 20-pocket coin pages.
    - If you want to use cardboard coin holders, then I recommend self-adhesive holders. They take up less room, are stackable, do not damage each other, and are easier to put into the plastic coin pages.
    - I do not recommend coin albums where the coins are not protected by archival-quality plastic protective sheets and are not visible on both sides. Many coins have the date on the obverse and the mint mark on the reverse, so you would have to pick one or the other to display.
    - My preference for loose coins is a Dansco album, if there is one for that type of coins. You can also order Dansco albums with your own gold-printed title and you can order pages of a size to fit your coins. I did this for Nazi 2 and 5 Mark coins and for the uncirculated German 1972 Olympic coins. I mount the coins into Dansco albums by using the plastic protective sheets and carefully pressing on the rims of the coins.
    - For really special coins that I don't send away to be slabbed, I place them in plastic clam-shell holders and then put the plastic holders in self-adhesive 2.5"x2.5" cardboard holders, storing them in the appropriate sized plastic pages mounted in 3-ring binders. I have attached an example, using a special series of 12 Notgeld coins from Rothenberg, Germany.

    No matter how you mount loose coins, you will have to handle them. You can wash your hands and then wear white cotton gloves (problematic with self-adhesive holders), you can just try to hold the coins only by their edges, or you can push the coins into albums while eating peanut butter and jam sandwiches (not recommended).

    You have to decide how much you want to spend to store / display your coins. A cigar box is about the cheapest. Cardboard holders are relatively inexpensive, but you need to invest in staplers, 20-pocket plastic sheets, three-ring binders, and labels. I don't use Littleton or Whitman albums. Dansco albums can be pricey. Collecting slabbed coins is an alternative, but you would have to be a favored nephew of Bill Gates to afford complete sets.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    I don't sweat the small stuff and I like Dansco's....
     
  13. cman

    cman Junior Member

    i use the Whitman US Mint albums. I like the way they look. And just wear cotton gloves b4 u put the coins in. Thats what i do
     
  14. jloring

    jloring Senior Citizen

    Well, back in the early '50's when I first started collecting, the "el cheapo" blue Whiman folders were the way to go. Most of my collecting buddies were smart enough not to moisten the adhesive... the holes always seemed to be a little undersized anyway, more like a "force fit" that sometimes required a little extra help (i.e., a hammer) to insert. Sometimes there would be a slightly oversized hole, and the coin would fall out every time you would open the folder. In that case, the adhesive was the only option. But of course, we weren't "grade conscious" at the time. Instead, we just had fun collecting...
     
  15. Leadfoot

    Leadfoot there is no spoon

    There's nothing wrong with albums for inexpensive coins, IMO.

    If you are worried about fingerprints, use gloves, and be very careful when moving the slides.

    Personally, I use Dansco albums as I think their albums are the highest quality. I do not, however, keep expensive coins in them.
     
  16. Leadfoot

    Leadfoot there is no spoon

    p.s. when you get a new Dansco, take out all the slides, and try and remove all of the cardboard "dust". If this dust settles on your coins, they will spot coins over time if the coin does not already have skin from circulation. Ask me how I know this. :(
     
  17. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    I think we can all guess correctly....:)
     
  18. My presidential dollars are resting comfortably in a Dansco album. :) TC
     
  19. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    And mine too old fellow....:)
     
  20. BALD SPARTAN

    BALD SPARTAN Member

    Dansco is what I enjoy using. They are neat and display your coins very nicely.
     
  21. Duke Kavanaugh

    Duke Kavanaugh The Big Coin Hunter

    Dansco's for me too.
     
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