I've been thinking about a way to safely store my whitman folders when i complete a collection. Im really close on jefferson nickels and 1940-present pennies, and i came up with this: My uncle has a vaccum food storage machine. How would that protect the coins in the folders to seal em in a vac air tite bag?? Opinions greatly appriceated.
It couldn't hurt. But you need to remember that those plastic bags are not truly airtight. The basic principles of coin storage will never change. There are things that you simply have to do not matter what your choice of storage medium is. 1 - you need a sealed container. By that I mean a container like a safe, or a large Tupperware or RubberMaid box. You would then place those vac bags in that container. 2 - the container must be stored in a cool, dark place where the temperature never varies or varies very little. 3 - you have to control the humidity by using silica gel packs and you have to exchange them for new ones, or recharge them on a regular basis. Now you can do that by placing the silica gel packs in the storage container (box, safe or whatever you use), or by placing one in each of the vac bags. But one way or the other the humidity has to be controled.
My question is, after going through all the work of finally completing albums, why entomb them? How are you supposed to enjoy them what they're residing in air-tight storage? Guy
I would guess the ultimate would be a glass container filled with Neon... That would be about the most controlled, driest, and inert environment you could have. You would still need to keep the temp in check to prevent gassing out of anything in the book itself.
Better yet give them to NASA JPL and they can encase them in an environment containment capsule with zero dust or gas contamination and then shoot them off into space where there are no environmental hazards to effect them. 100% safe. Guy
That's one of the problems with albums isn't it ? People put their coins in albums because they like the way they look in albums. But then you have to issues like toning - not everybody likes it. And if you wish to minimize toning due to album storage then you have to do certain things. Leave an album out on the coffee table or bookshelves and you expose the album and the coins to changes in temperature, light, excess humidity, mishandling, contaminants in the air - all sorts of things. Put them away and store them as they should be stored and you loose the display advantage of albums that you wanted to begin with. This is to a large degree why I always recommend that collectors do not use albums. But to each his own.
I agree, Doug. I have dozens of coin albums, some of which I've had for decades and some over 50 years old that were my grandparent's. I will say there has been no toning, and the older ones are the Whitman blue folders. I use simple large food storage containers, which can hold up to about 20 albums each. So I guess if I had to recommend something, it would be those. They're cheap and easy to access and open when you want to look at your coins. Guy
Guy - when's the last time you took some of the coins out of those Whitman folders and carefully checked the coins ? I ask that because if the coins have been there for 50 years I'd have a hard time believing there was no toning.
It's been a while, Doug. And most of those coins are circulated, if that makes a difference. The silver I've never noticed toning, though the copper I do see a bit of discoloration on a few. Maybe the fact none were ever blast white to start makes it more difficult to tell if there has been slight toning. But I do keep them as a whole in the best environment I possibly can, with little humidity or contact with anything other than other coins. I did have a partial set of walkers I had stored at my parent's that toned quite rapidly, which was I believe due to the fact that they like to use a swamp cooler during the winter months and it adds a ton of humidity into their home. I'll have to check mine again to make certain though, and remove a bunch to check both sides. Guy
Circ coins tone at a much slower rate than unc coins do because of the lack of or loss of luster. But those old blue folders are terrible for coins, if for no other reason than the glue that the downside is against. They have ruined many a coin collection. I understand sentimental value as much as anybody, but you might want to re-think keeping them that way.
You got me nervous now Doug. Looks like I have some work to do tonight. Most of the nicer coins I've converted to Dansco albums over the years, hoping they are better on coins.
