Disappointed with Intercept Shield 2x2 box

I bought two of those boxes to store my coins that were already in airtites. Both boxes had sticky stuff that I suspected as glue residue and the lining in one of the box was already peeling off. I put all my coins in the good box and decided to use the defected box as temporary storage. Since I needed two boxes to hold all my coins, I bought two more. One to store rest of my coins and the other for future use. I just received them and to my surprise both have sticky stuff again and the linings in both are peeling as well. What’s worse is that the sticky stuff is bigger and the lining on one side of one of the box is almost completely detached. Now I’m not sure whether I should continue using them.

I’m guessing whether the lining is attached or detached to the box is irrelevant as long as it is in the box. Am I right about this? However, my major concern is the fact that glue is exposed to the coins and I’m afraid it will ruin my coins eventually.

 

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Are you saying they are counterfeit? I bought them from wizard.

 

Talk about falling apart!!

 

I would follow up with Wizard and/or Intercept Shield. I suspect one or the other will make things right.

 

Hi GDJMSP,I think the one you got is the "Intercept Shield PCGS/NGC Track Box" and the one I got is "Intercept Shield 2x2 Storage Box".

 

What part of china do you have to return them to ? Poor quality control .

 

hmmm, I have old photo type slide boxes for my 2x2's that do not go in my IS albums. I had not thought about this style. Better get on the front row with getting them for storage.

 

Poor quality, perhaps. A product default, indeed. But it's rather poor form to stereotype the Chinese like this.

 

Quick question in general: don't the adhesives used on these boxes pose a long term hazard to coins? I've heard one person allude to problems with carpeting (i.e. glue) in safes having ruined a couple of coins, but I'm unsure whether the same principles apply. Anyone else ever had this experience or that could advise me on this?

 

I've seen the topic of carpet/linings in safes pop up now and then on CT. I ran an advanced search for: 'safe' and 'carpet' and something Doug said, a bit earlier than what I was looking for came up, but it should help:

 

Just A Dumb Question

I may be missing something, but this old scientist hasn't progressed from the stone age to the modern age where collectors are encapsulating precious commodities in "plastic".

I'm sorry, but having spent a portion of my life designing/advising in the production of extruded/molded/cast/etc. "plastic" commercial products, understanding the constituent, and processing chemistry, I'm in a quandary trying to understand this storage practice.

I know the "trust me" attitude prevails in our area of collectability.

What is the primary constituent "plastic" for these "holders" (e.g. polycarbonate, acrylic, etc.)?

I'm apparently deficient in understanding how these modern methods of storage are preferable to those inexpensive methods I've used for more than a half century without realizing the deterioration I've seen when more recently acquiring coins in "modern" holders.

Please explain how ammunition cans with a desiccant pack, and coins wrapped in undyed cloth are inferior to plastic holders. I also still have coins contained in wax sealed paper milk cartons (I know how that "dates" my practices) which I believe to be preferable.

For presentation, are glass and wood outdated?

Does the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and other learned storage institutions now encase artifacts in "plastic"?

I'm just an old man trying to determine/learn/separate where hype stops, and logic/truth prevails.

Thanks for understanding. Rich :bow:

 

Rich,
From what I gather, you have established storage practices that have been working for a long time. Like the old saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!". However, the new storage devices are designed to provide even more protection against harmful environments. Most manmade materials give off gasses that are harmful to coins. Some are corrosive like PVC and transfer a "slime" that will eventually damage a coin if left alone for a period of time. Additionally some natural fibers are corrosive including certain types of wood such as oak which contains tannic acid. If you have any coins, especially silver, in old Whitman blue folders, pop a few out and look at the back side. If they've been in there any length of time you will notice they have "toned" or tarnished. Sometimes you get lucky and have a nice toning and other times you get an ugly brown tarnish. It is due to the acid that remained in the paper from turning wood fibers into wood pulp and any bleaching/dyeing process that was done to finish the paper.

Archival storage for paintings, cloth, photos, etc. has been a key issue for museums for decades. The Smithsonian and the National Coin Cabinet have placed coins in plastic "slabs". Humidity, oxidation and pH are controlled by encapsulation.

The bottom line is to be careful of what you seal your coins in. You may be trying to keep out moisture, etc. but may have inadvertantly sealed them in a chemical prison only to die a slow and ugly death.

 

In the past the Smithsonian polished the coins but I don't think they do that anymore.

 

So then only New(er) acquisitions are not damaged by such practice, what's been done in the past is done and is irreversible.

 

An "Exception"

Although I realize the futility of my response, my previous post being generally answered by unsupported statements, commonly known as HYPE, I post this response with reasonable facts which I believe can be readily supported. I again ask for supportive information, as a query, so that I might present proper supporting documentation, This response is intended to be educational, not confrontational.

I believe you'll find the general term "Plastic" is that of a material state, which isn't "inert" by definition. "Plastic" may be relatively chemically/temperature inert as the Fluoroelastomers, relatively mechanically inert as glass filled PolyBenzImidazole, relatively temperature inert as some Polyimides, relatively inert to "outgassing" as established by ASTM TEST METHOD E595, but still "plastic", having varying lesser degrees of resistance to influences, relative to that of a "solid" material (e.g. a noble metal).

I could believe that: Dependent upon the cloth and coin material, an unusual phenomena as "surface marring" might occur, but would suspect that materials having greater density might also generate this condition.

If the same cloth wrapping is applied to a coin as one might apply with a holder, abrasion/contact marks are unlikely.

Cloth is generally osmostic or capillary in nature, removing (wicking) fluid molecules from a surface, where plastic is generally impermeable, allowing an identical concentration to that of a cloth wrap to condense on the surface, rather than be wicked. Try wiping your wet kitchen counter with a plastic bag, and then a towel.

Since the plastic holders aren't air tight, moisture laden air is more likely to deposit/condense air borne residue inside a plastic capsule onto the coin surface, than a cloth wrap. The residue is unlikely to ever precipitate, as the thermal inertia of the coin is far greater than that of the relatively thin plastic "membrane".

You are correct the sudden deceleration will disrupt glass surfaces, but I've noticed a similar phenomena when a plastic coin laden holder contacts the floor after being dropped. I suspect that a Polycarbonate non-contacting "window" would provide better protection than contacting plastic holders.

I didn't realize that unfinished hardwood emits harmful gasses. Does Polyurethane, a more "durable plastic" than that I've viewed in holders, eliminate that condition?

If your current information pertaining to Smithsonian institutional efforts are correct, please ignore my question pertaining to their practices.

Thanks for your learned opinions provided to this skeptic. :thumb:

 

The holder cases are made of clear acrylic (Dupont Lucite) or polystyrene depending upon the brand. Any kind of insert may be made of any of the following: polyethelene, polystyrene, Mylar (polyethylene terephthalate), or any other clear innert plastic that does not gas-off. Holders or "slabs" from PCGS, NGC, et al are sonicly welded together thus are more apt to be air tight.

You are correct that the scientific term plastic refers to a state of a material especially when referring to deformation. In this forum you should keep in mind that the term "plastic" is a description of a class of polymers that are somewhat rigid but also flexible.

With respect to cloth or any other natural fiber, they have an affinity towards absorption of fluids and will have an osmotic tendency (attempting to attain the same relative humidity as their environment).

By the way, when you wiped your wet kitchen counter with plastic did your hand get wet?

You obviously have a rather extensive knowlege of polymers (plastic) and you don't accept information unless it has been proven by the scientific method and that's fine. I, myself, don't automatically accept everything I am told either. It must be backed by a historical record. I'm sure there may be a chemical engineer in this forum that could explain even further than I have about the composition, benefits and drawbacks to each type of coin holder on the market.