Hi all: I have been following this Forum for about a month now! You are all really helping me as I learn the ins and outs of Coin collecting. Now for my Question: There are many different ways to Store and protect coin, so when do you move from a 2x2, to a air tite, to a slab, etc? I currently use 2x2's but I have some older pieces (Morgan/peace dollars and a couple of ealy 1900 gold pieces) that I am wondering if they should be in something more stable or solid. Should I use a dollar scale to make a decison point? Something like: anything less than 5.00 put in a 2x2; Greater than 5.00 but less than 50.00 put in an air tite or something equivalent, Greater than 50, put in a slab. Sign me off as confused but learning !!! Thanks, G.E.
You are going to get answers all over the board. See this thread Coin Holders It is really up to each individual collector to figure out what works best for them and what is within their budget. I like air tites for my better coins, that's my opinion only. I would not put too many modern circulated coins into air-tites. MS and PF coins - yes - if they are going to be in my collection long term. You really have to think about how you are going to store and display them. Good Luck
Most of my coins are in 2x2's. I like Airtite holders for nicer coins, say AU and nicer, regardless of worth. But, everyone is different. I know collectors who have every single coin in albums, even 09S VDB's and 19D's...and then I know some who put everything in Airtites, including modern clads and Lincolns. Guy~
A dollar scale as you suggested is one way to go. I would put any coin with mint luster worth preserving into an airtite or other plastic holder. Low valued and toned coins go into the 2X2s. However, I tend to put silver dollars [peace and morgans] into albums regardless of value or appearance to make them easier to view.
Hey that all coins in Albums is me. Well not all, but most. Every single coin, regardless of value, goes into an Album. I presently have all Whitman Classic Albums. Most are complete and that does include 09S VDB's, 14D's, 22Plains, 55 double Die's, etc. Same with all Albums. I place each album in a freezer type zip lock bag and have been putting all coins in Albums for as long as there have been Albums. No problems with any coins yet. Only over runs and excessive duplicates go into 2x2's and I have about 9 boxes of those. The way I look at it all those coins are mine. No plans on selling them. No one that knows coins to leave them to in case. So I sure am not worried about the vast future, only my present enjoyment.
I'm resurrecting this thread to get an answer to a question. I also like Airtites and I don't trust 2X2's to protect coins. I've had state quarters tone badly in 2X2's. I also like Intercept Shield holders, but they are 5X the cost of Airtites, even at volume pricing. The only problem is, what do you do with the Airtites? The Airtite albums are dull and oddly shaped, with strange numbers of openings per page. The capsules are too thick to put into flips or plastic album pockets and don't lend themselves to stacking in a storage box like 2X2 containers. I'm just curious to know what people do with the Airtite capsules so they are protected from scratching and are organized so you can find them.
I use Direct-Fit Airtites. I put all my Proof and MS coins in them regardless of value. THEN, I put the direct-fit airtite into a silver dollar sized 2x2. I can then put them into the red storage boxes. I've never tried putting them into album pages. It's cheap and it ain't real pretty, but it protects the coin AND it protects the airtite. Now the airtite won't get scratched up. So when I look at a coint, I can pretty much do anything I want with it.
Air-Tite albums is what you do with them. There are trade-offs with everything, if you want the protection that Air-Tites offer then you put up with the album design. It's a question of which you'd rather have - your coins protected or what you find to be a pretty album.
There are some (mostly accidental) matches between Dansco albums and AirTite capsules. A previous post described a way to put Lincoln cent direct-fit capsules in Dansco half-dollar pages. Are you aware of any albums that can safely store the Airtites?
None that I'm aware of. I believe in the previous post that the holes were being enlarged to allow the Air-Tites to fit. That could be quite difficult to do in many cases.
quick question. With gold coins would one have the same concerns for protection as you would with other types of metalic coins since gold is so non reactive. In particular I am asking about coins that have been slabbed (ngc)
Gold coins tone just like any other coins, even pure gold coins - but the majority are not pure gold. So if you don't like the possibility of toning, then yes they need protected.
always get them out of 2x2s and into airtights however not all coins will get graded its just too expensive for cheaper coins
My slab coins go into a Intercept shield box(60 per box). I even put airtite fitted coins loose in the same boxes, i don't notice any scratching(The more you handle them, the more the chance of scratches). But i do have some slabs stacked in safety deposit boxes, just not enough room for all intercept shield box storage.
My rule of thumb about whether to "airtite" a coin or not is to decide whether I want toning or scratches. If I want that coin to look the same 20 years from now, I airtite it. If not, it can sit in a 2x2. Current value has nothing to do with my decision on airtites. In fact, I have awesome 2007 Lincoln P and D's in airtites. I dunno. I see people spending gadzillions for coins and an airtite costs 30 cents or so. PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT - even if it's only worth $2.39