Hello, I have some coins stored in coin storage boxes I purchased from Wizard Coin Supply (I think). In any case, they are specific coin storage boxes. These boxes are stored in a room in my house. The room is air conditioned, heated, and very comfortable. Nothing about the room seems "weird" or dangerous and nothing has changed in years. A few months ago I purchased 2 Canadian Maples silver and, in a hurry, stacked them atop each other atop one of the boxes. Yesterday I went and took the stack and found this on the top of the stack. The reverse is perfectly fine, as was the coin underneath it. The "cleaned" area across the queen's nose was my finger as I reached in and grabbed the stack; this gunk wipes off easily. Besides "bad", does anyone know what is happening here? It's air-related, and thinking the silver is reacting to it. I am certain there are a zillion things it could be but I'm hoping someone has seen this exact, precise thing before and can lend some thoughts. Nothing inside the coin storage boxes - proofs, raws, albums - seem affected ,and they look quite normal, as they did when I put them in there. I've moved all my coins out of this room. I appreciate any comments. Thank you! -L
The fact that it wiped off so easily indicates it isn't any reactions with the metal itself, so a surface deposit prompts the question as to more details about where the coins were stored. In the opened room, in a cabinet or drawer, etc. If there were other objects in the same area, is there any on their surfaces? Are there any plants or aquariums in the room, location of air vents in relation to the coin storage, etc. Is there any spraying of room deodorant, carpet or flooring cleaners, furniture waxes, etc. Possible photo of the storage area in the room? Interesting.
Lionel - Based on what you describe you are using bad storage methods. What's more the surface of the coins should never be touched by your fingers or anything else. And they absolutely most definitely should never be wiped - with anything ! The coin storage boxes you mentioned are fine, but in and of themselves they will not protect your coins from having airborne contaminants deposited on them. Nor will the individual coin holders. There are several steps to proper coin storage. 1 - use hard plastic coin holders. 2 - you can use the storage boxes for convenience sake but they are not required. 3 - all coins, including those in the storage boxes, need to be kept in a closed container. If you have a safe (do not use Sentry safes) at home that will serve as a closed container. If you do not have a safe then you can use a large Tupperware, or similar brand, container. No paper, cardboard, wood products, or PVC products can be allowed in the container. 4 - you need to keep rechargeable, or replaceable, silica gel packs inside your closed container. 5 - your closed container should ideally be kept in a room or closet in your home that has no exterior walls. This room/closet should ideally be dark, and maintain a consistent and cool temperature. All of those steps must be utilized or you will have problems with your coin storage.
A few questions here. What's wrong with sentry safe? Is it because they're not sufficiently burglar proof, or something else? Do you recommend taking proof sets out of their boxes prior to storing?
It's because they put off large amounts of humidity inside the safe itself due to their fireproofing method. Yes absolutely. The hard plastic holders the coins come in are fine, but they should be removed from outer cardboard boxes and the boxes stored someplace else so that you still the original packaging intact.
Thank you for all the replies... A few answers, as best I can: It IS almost like a grease but nothing has been sprayed or anything in the room that would have deposited it. There is nothing like it on the box upon which the coin rested. In other words, when I picked it up there wasn't a round "clean spot" on the box it rested. This staining only affected the maple. The room is a 4' x 6' clothes closet adjoining the bedroom. It does have an outside wall, but all my rooms do so I can't do much about that The walls are white paint, the floors are 70's style fake wood floor. There is a tin cold air return running through it from basement to upper floor. The bedroom is always 67-71 degrees with constant even humidity. Nothing in the closet or adjoining bedroom runs afoul of the list-o-things CoinTalk members say never put next to coins - PVC, brown envelopes, animals, etc. Just clothes... and an occasional dust bunny. No plants, aquariums, spraying, not even an open window. The closet and adjoining room and never fully closed off from good and clean and filtered ventilation. I do not have a safe, but store everything in for-coin-storage cardboard boxes. GDJMSP, I appreciate your reminder of The Five Steps - I don't yet have 100% on all of them but do pretty well across the Five. Or think I do anyway. Remains a mystery.... I have moved everything out of that closet. And have a free maple in the new location - my canary in the mine, so to speak. Thank you all again! I'll keep working on it... -L
Lionel what you need to realize is that anything that gets into the air anywhere in your home, gets into the air everywhere in your home. In other words, what you cook in the kitchen that puts all sorts of stuff into the air, and everything you cook does that, those same air contaminants get into that closet. It doesn't matter if it's upstairs, downstairs, in the bedrooms or closets - it gets there. And anything that is in the air outside, that gets to everyplace in your home too. So anytime a coin is left exposed to the air, whatever is in the air is going to get on the coin. The air itself is the single biggest enemy your coins have. That's the entire purpose of proper coin storage. And every step is just as important as every other step, and you can leave none of them out. Or you will suffer the consequences, or rather your coins will. Oh and by the way, if you want to experiment it would be a lot cheaper to use a new coin from your change as opposed to Silver Maples. The results will be exactly the same.
