I opened my safe and found dust/pollen on my Silver Dollar boxes. Help!!

Hello. I have a safe for my coin sets - Silver Proof Annual Sets, American Eagles, Uncirculated Quarters & Gold Dollars in coin capsules, etc. I also keep desiccant in the safe.



I opened the safe up today to find what looks like dust or pollen on the boxes of my American Eagles boxes. I've tried to add pictures so you can see what I am talking about.

Can anybody tell me what is going on? Are my coins ruined? Is this stuff toxic? What should I do to properly store my coins?

Thank you thank you thank you!!!
~Drew

 

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Strange. Is it an old safe? I would be looking at what the safe is lined with on the inside. Like maybe it's old insulation or something starting to fall off. The clumping is what leads me to believe it's not normal everyday dust.

 

Your coin is FINE, But the Pollen is my worst enemy right now...I need Zyrtec right now...Achinngggg!

 

That doesn't look like pollen and why would it clump like that inside of a safe? What does the coin look like?

 

Would have to say mold is the number one choice, there are millions of mold types and sub types with out looking at it under a microscope it will be hard to tell. Since it is cardboard it (probably) is one of the aspergillus family
Aspergillus mold is virtually unavoidable. Outdoors, it's found in decaying leaves and compost and on plants, trees and grain crops. Inside, the spores — the reproductive parts of mold — thrive in air conditioning and heating ducts, insulation, and some food and spices. Aspergillus is so common in old buildings, even in older hospitals, that small epidemics have occurred among people with weakened immune systems when nearby buildings have been torn down.
Everyday exposure to aspergillus is rarely a problem for people with healthy immune systems. When mold spores are inhaled, immune system cells simply surround and destroy them. But people who have a weakened immune system from illness or immunosuppressant medications have fewer infection-fighting cells. This allows aspergillus to take hold, invading the lungs and, in the most serious cases, other parts of the body.

Aspergillosis is not contagious from person to person.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus

It is also found on paper and wood pulp products.Take them out side, and with a mask and gloves wipe the boxes and anything else down let them sit in the sun and turn so all sides can get the bleaching action of the sun. Clean the inside of the safe well depending on what it is made from a bleach solution should due the job.

If your desiccant is the color changing type from say blue (dry) to purple (wet) you will have to dry it out(recharge) as the makers say or replace it. Depending on when the items were put in and how wet/damp they were. You will have to add more desiccant. Harbor freight sold it a while ago for their moisture traps.
You might have to in crease the surface area exposed to the air in the safe, hanging the desiccant in women's stocking footies with the ends tied off will work or a flat type plastic dish and then shake the desiccant around.
you also will have to check on the conditions in the safe and check to see if there are any holes or the door seal is bad if it is a used type or old safe.

If you need more help keeping it dry there are battery dehumidifier used and sold for gun safes sold at the big box sporting good stores. Since i have no idea what part of the country you are in and the normal conditions. Make sure you dry anything you put in the safe, a hair dryer and a couple minutes of electrical use will work wonders. Remember inside and out if it is paper/pulp probucts or the inside of plastic zip lock bags.

 

After zooming the picture, that does look like some kind of mold.

 

If it is an old safe and that is the fireproofing falling down from the inside you have a bigger problem as the mixture was cement and asbestos You will have to remove everything in plastic bags to contain the dust. as it will stay airborne for days if their is any air movement. A plastic tyveck suit, asbestos rated cartridges for a mask, gloves and doubled up plastic bags. For any loose or chunks, also a vacuum with a hepa filter is a must. depending on when you bought it if it is a used safe No honest lock smith/safe shop would have sold you one with out informing you of the dangers. if you bought from a lock/safe shop find out if the have a current bond. and who holds it.
Having spent over 33 years in the building management field, And having to take a couple hunderds hours of classes on asbestos management and removal. You may have some large bills for clean up and disposal of the safe.

Those lawyer ads on TV seem like hype but they, aren't it is nasty stuff

 

After zooming in as well it does appear to me also that it looks like something has just fell on it. I would think as someone else stated that this is from the safe coming apart.

At first glance it did appear to mold by looking like it was spores. I don't know is there anymore information you can give us?


Dusty

 

It's definitely mold. I had the same thing in my safe which I will never use again. It was a fire safe and unfortunately, despite the dessicant, the humidity both in the safe (as well as the lining) is what causes this. No amount of dessicant is going to help.

I'd also venture to say the the boxes are going to be damaged.

I think the best bet is to get rid of the safe and start all over again.

 

Brand new safe with brand new coins straight from the mint.

 

And the mold/pollen/whatever is only on the boxes with the American Eagles. Coin capsules, Silver proof sets, etc look fine.

 

Well then it's mold. You could try to clean it maybe with bleach really good and let it dry out really well. How big is the safe? Could you return it?


Dusty

 

Doubtful. I shouldn't have said it was brand new. I meant that I bought it brand new from Staples. Probably about two years ago. Mold though? That is scary. It cleans up easily. I just used a microfiber cloth and wiped it all off. Has anyone else experienced the same problem?

 

looks like mold and if you just wipe it off it will come back, you need to kill the spores, I would seal those in a plastic bag with desicant to dry it out and keep them out of the safe until you can be sure there is no more growth in the safe. Does the safe have a cloth lining in it? If so you need to do something with that. If it is all metal then bleach the heck out of it then leave the door open a few days so it can dry out.

 

You might need to get some mold killing chemicals to clean the boxes. Afterwards wipe off the boxes with a damp cloth and then put them in bags with desiccants. You may want to take coins out of the boxes and do the same with them too, just in case. And see if you can return the safe.

 

As been said you have to kill the mold spores! Period, whether they are on the boxes or something else or the in side of the safe. Any of the big box home despot type stores have mold killer in squirt bottles in the cleaning products isle near the paint. There is no easy fast, cheap way of doing it. do it right and do it once or it like Arnold will be back! if it a surface that can be cleaned with the bleach solution then do it.

 

I do not think it is mold nor asbestos. It looks like mineral "flowers" and is probably from either the chemicals in the insulation ( Take everything out and check for tiny holes with this stuff around it), or it is some of the chemicals in the desiccant. Check it also. You may need to cut a square of fiberglass from a filter for A/C or Heating and put it over the desiccant. To get a mold to grow like that, the cardboard boxes would be rather damp.

Jim

 

It is likely mold/fungus:

http://www.****edconsumer.com/revie...es-create-mold-and-fungus-20120601322039.html

TC

 

Thanks for all the advice and follow up. Still hoping somewhere out there has actually experienced this first-hand. It's so weird!!!