Holder for paper currency?

Hello,

I am interested in buying acouple holders for my currency. What would provide the most protection? I've seen "air tight" holders for coins, are there any for notes? I've heard of some chemicals in the plastics, with PVC, or acids, would I have to worry about those? Thanks!

-Dillon

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I always use Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sleeves - Some people call PET "Mylar", but Mylar is a brand name of a special type of PET, Biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (boPET). The brand name I use is SafGard, from E&T Kointainer Company, the same folks who make [FONT=arial, Helvetica]KoinTains and SaFlips. I store the sleeved notes in red currency boxes available from many suppliers.
[/FONT]

 

The sleeves are nice for protection from handling, but doesn't really offer much protection from mis-handling.

I purchased a BCW "Currency Slab" plastic holder from online, and it's quite nice. $8 or so, if I recall, but I wanted something heavier-duty to hold my 81-A K-*.

John

 

The box and who I give access the the box provides a great deal from protection from handling. :smile

The BCW Currency Slab is made from polystyrene, which according to this excellent article from Daggarjon is a safe material for archival storage of notes:

The important thing when selecting holders is to buy ones made from the right materials - ask the supplier exactly what it is made of - if he doesn't know, shop elsewhere. Safe materials include polyester, polyethylene (food grade), polystyrene, polypropylene & Plexiglas. PVC, whether it is plasticized or not is not acceptable nor is acetate.
​

The currency slab is four times the cost of the PET sleeves ($1.57 each for quantity 100), and significantly bulkier. For me, size becomes a significant factor when one has a large number of notes - One box of PET sleeves is about 200 notes, and 200 notes in polystyrene slabs is going to require a whole lot more space for storage.

But, sure, if you have a dozen or a few dozen notes, you may find the currency slabs work just fine.

 

i get them from the coin shop, are those bad?....

 

You must have missed this quote from the nice lady at the Smithsonian:

The important thing when selecting holders is to buy ones made from the right materials - ask the supplier exactly what it is made of - if he doesn't know, shop elsewhere.
​

 

What are the best kind? Where would be a good place to get them?

 

Clay, I was giving the OP options. Perhaps he wanted something "tougher" than a standard sleeve? I understand the bulk issue all too well.

John

 

Options are a good thing - That's why I ended my last posting with, "you may find the currency slabs work just fine." So, whatever your preference, know what material the currency holder, slab, or sleeve is made from. These materials have been classified as fine for archival storage:

• Polyester - Example: SuperSafe or holders made from Prolar Polyester
• Polyethylene (food grade) - This includes Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Example: SafGard. Also includes "Mylar" or other biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate polymers. Example: Frame-A-Coin Currency Holders, PCGS Currency Holders are "Mylar D" (See: PCGS Currency Holders "Take the Heat")
  
• Polystyrene - Example: BCW Currency Slabs
• Polypropylene - Example: UltraPro Banknote Holding Ring Binder Display Pages
• Plexiglas which is a trade name for Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). It is sold under many trade names, including Policril, Plexiglas, Gavrieli, Vitroflex, Limacryl, R-Cast, Per-Clax, Perspex, Plazcryl, Acrylex, Acrylite, Acrylplast, Altuglas, Polycast, Oroglass, Optix and Lucite and is commonly called acrylic glass, simply acrylic, perspex or plexiglas. So, "hard acrylic" holders should be ok. Example: Collector Safe, Capital Plastics Currency Holders, Image Guard Currency Holders

I would be suspicious of anything generically called "plastic", "acetate", "vinyl", or "PVC" (even if the PVC contains no plasticizers or stearates) holders. Sometimes, though, with a little research, you may find the "hard plastic" currency holder is made of acrylic or polystyrene, which should be fine.

 

Great information Clay!! This puts my mind at bit of an ease
Since i only collect Mpc in PCGS holders!! Thanks again!

 

If you have raw notes & want to buy holders made from the same as PCGS or PMG holders uses what is a good type to buy ?
I have fractionals in currency Wallets in my safety deposit box.

 

Mylar-D by dupont, Per that great article!! I will do some research
And find out who stocks them!

 

Mylar-D, Prolar, Melinex-516 are all suitable and safe brand names, among others. It is getting to the point that it is easier to know the shorter 'bad' list then the much longer 'good' list. PVC or vinyl and Acetate are among those looked at as being unsafe. the materials listed above by clay are considered better.

I thought Mylar-D was a polyester however, not Polyethylene....

 

We're both right:

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
​

 

You almost have to be a chemist to figure all of this out, But its
Great information that,s for sure!

 

Hi Rusty, I agree,every time I think I understand it,someone else contradicts the post . My local coin & stamp shop in Brooklyn says their "UN-plasticized Currency Holders are safe for storage in a safe or Safety Deposit box but they don't know the chemical components of the holder...Daaaah ? As they say in B'klyn forgetaboutit...gofigure ?

 

Hey Bob,

You really have to be your own advocate here! When it comes to protecting
Your valuables, Here,s a quick example, When i was in High School i was kind
Of a Motor head and i guess i still am, Being the proud owner of both a
1969 Yenko Camaro 427 @ 450Hp and a 1987 Grand National Turbo-6 @ 600Hp
But in High School i did have a 1970 Challenger 440 @ 375Hp

Now back to the story i lived in Fountain Valley, Ca at the time and we had
A local speed shop in Costa Mesa, Ca a couple of towns over the name
Of the place was called "Super Shops" But we all called it "Stupid Shops"
Because if you didn,t know what you wanted they wouldnt be able to
Provide any answers for you!
Moral of the story know what you want, And know more about it then them..Lol

 

Need Help, Please?

I appreciate all the work that went into the above list of what type of plastic components are safe for archival storage.

Please forgive my confusion, but I am trying to figure out if the following items are safe for archival storage, or not as it doesn't always say on the packages exactly what they are made of:

1 - BCW Semi-Rigid Currency Sleeves
2 - Lighthouse Vario Pages

Thank you.

 

@Good Cents

This thread was last posted to 10 years ago. You might want to start a new thread to get the exposure you deserve.

 

Man this is an old thread ! everybody that has previously posted on it are
Either no longer with us ( R.I.P ) Rickie B or havent posted in a very long time
Although most of my collection is already graded and are already in PCGS
Mylar holders, the stuff that isnt graded is in BCW holders which i consider
Very good