What is the best coin albums?

I have always used Dansco albums, but I am always having to move the plastic screen around to try to keep the air out after I show them to people. Is there a better way?

 

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Not really Dansco, Whitman, Littleton, Intercept shield, they all use the same basic technology. The best thing you can do is make sure you're not rubbing the high points on the coin with the plastic screen when you move it in and out, also you may want to put a chemical dehumidifier bag near your coins. I have some that will soak up all the ambient moisture in a closed space and turn color when full, then can be dried out in the oven and reactivated. This way I keep moisture from harming my coins.

 

I prefer Littleton and Dansco to Whitman and I've never tried the Intercept shield, but bqcoins is right that the biggest problem with all of the above is thatmoving the plastic slides can damage the coins, especially if they are higher grades.

I guess the BEST option is to use the albums made to house air-tites, so that the coins are in air-tites first and then placed in the album. It can be a little bit pricey for low grade circulated sets, but it is the right way to go for nice sets. the coins in nice sets are definately worth an extra 50-75¢ each to properly protect them.

 

I like Whitman Classic albumns. I can see both sides of the coins and I find it easier to insert the coins in the holes. I like that I can add pages as needed and rub the date and mint mark under each coin.

 

I use Lighthouse albums... so far the product is doing a good job protecting my coins.

 

My local dealer told me that Dansco is the best around. I don't have any reason to doubt them.

For me this is a move up from Whitman folders for my circulated Lincolns, so damage to high grade coins isn't an issue, at least not yet. (But I can dream!)

 

Asking that kind of question is like saying which car is better. Or which brand of toothpaste, mouth wash, hair spray, toe nail clipper is best. Every one has a different one based on something or other.
For me I use the Whitman Classic Albums. Not because they are the best but once I started with them, I want them all to look the same. I've had one Littleton album and didn't like the way the pages turned. To me I just don't like the Dansco color. Poor choice of album color for Coppper colored coins.
Not sure if true but I've heard that Whitman was once manufactured and put together in Wisconsin. However, as with almost everything else today they are now made in China and put together here. Dansco on the other hand is all American. Here in the Mid West most coins stores carry Whitman. At coin shows all you see is Dansco. I've heard that in the far West all you see is Dansco. I've never even seen a Intercept Shield Album anywhere and I've been a coin collector for well over 60 years. Never seen extra pages for Dansco or Littleton. I see extra pages for Whitman everywhere and also sheets with rub off gold numbers and letters so you can add your own information to the albums.
I've had a lot of trouble with add on pages with Whitman because of the slots being to small, front of page coming off on the corners, holes for adding to albums not in the exact spot they should be, color not exactly matching the rest of the album. Someone in China is saying "got you with that one America"
Back to your question. I still like the looks of the Whitman Classic Albums.

 

I had to make my own. I started with Whitmans and did the Dansco route, but I was never satisfied. So I designed my own using the best of all of the available technologies for display, protection and storage.

Here is what I use:

1. Intercept Shield 2x2's (must keep Lincolns red, must keep the Lincolns red,)
2. Avery labels (80 per page) printed with the date, MM, and mintage numbers (if available)
3. Eagle Coin Page holders, to house the 2x2 Intercept Shields (20 per page)
4. Century Acid-Free Clam Shell 3" - 3 ring binder

I get display (even if you want to pull out ONE of the coins), protection and storage all in one. See a page from my Lincolns here:



You can get them to hold slabs too:



Here is the best 3 ring binder I have found (acid-free amd designed for long term storage):



Acid Free, Acrylic Coated, Moisture Resistant, Meets ANSI L29-1977 Standards, Conforms to NASTA Standards

 

I use airtites for high grade raw coins of all sorts, Dansco for my circulated/uncirculated Morgan dollars, and 2x2s for most of the remainder. I'd be afraid to put a high grade coin in any album, although they make a nice display right up to the day they are ruined. I also have a few Coin World PCGS Slab Holders that I like a lot, and still plug pocket change into the old blue Whitman folders as a low stress hobby.

Coins can be more trouble to take care of than pets.

 

I use Intercept Albums. The slots on Intercept album for Roosevelt dimes are smaller than the coins so its a struggle fitting them. I'm thinking of removing them and storing in regular 2x2s. My PF lincolns are stored in Intercepts 2x2 and I'm in the process of ordering the Eagle coin page holders for the lincolns. (Got the idea from Midas)

 

Midas, that looks really sharp. I may have to start doing something like that for my Lincons and Indians

 

Midas, the only clamshell box I was able to find cost $79 Did you buy it cheaper?

 

I sell Danscos in the shop...they're the best I've found. But if you like to take the coins out and show them off or play with them you should save the money and just keep your coins in whitman folders. Just a few slides of the plastic across your coin is all it takes to change it from an UNC to AU58.
I too reccomend keeping dessicant or something similiar near your coins to keep the air dry.
tradernick

 

Check this out or other longterm photo/archival clamshell binders:

http://www.portfoliorama.com/presentation.html

http://www.centuryboxes.com/html/century_albums.html

 

A lot of online coin dealers sell extra pages,including blank ones, for Dansco albums and my dealer always orders the updated pages for currently circulating coin series.
Here is a good example of both.

 

scratches

dprice7: just bought a bunch of the Eagle pages, because of the same conerns that led you, Midas, to do the above with Eagle pages and Intercept. Someone else on CT said this method scratches the intercept plastic and it certainly does. I could barely get the Intercept 2x2 in the Eagle holders so I tried to turn them vertically and they fit better (Intercepts are slightly rectangular-not a perfect square). However, they definitely scratched the Intercept. Do I spend $300? on the some 300 Intercepts needed for my full quarter collection (1932-1998 with proofs which is currently in Dansco album) to have the plastic scratched on all of them during the inserting process? Many of the quarters started to tone in my safe when I took them out of ziplocks thinking erroneously that they had PVC in them. I guess the Dansco absorbed the ambient moisture despite dessicants (humidity was 55-60% at that time). Also, risk damaging the proofs upon removal. Any advice is appreciated.

 

i really dont understand whats happening i have used 1000 + intercept 2x2 and i have not scratched a single one what am i missing here?

 

Dprice7: they get scratched when you put them in the Eagle brand 20/page album. This is what Midas does to display the coins. The fit is so tight it puts strong vertical scratches on the plastic part of the Intercept

 

I believe The_Cave_Troll mentioned the possibility of the plastic slider contacting the coins while inserting them in some albums. I don't think he was referring to Intercept Shields. I have been buying the Dansco albums lately, and I am aware of the possibility of the plastic rubbing over the coins. I try to center all the coins I put in these albums, so not to damage the coins each time I add one. I've been taking the coins out of 2X2s and inserting them into the Dansco albums. The Intercept Shields seem quite protective as a single unit.

Bruce

 

o i thought you meant the holders thats a relief