Plastic slab storage box for all PCGS and NGC standard slabs, past and present

I'm personally interested only in U.S. coin slabs and am not concerned about oversize, over-thick slabs. Have recently tried NGC, PCGS and Whitman plastic slab boxes. None is really satisfactory. Best solution for now is heavy-duty (black) cardboard boxes with paper wadding or plastic foam to reduce rattling.

1. NGC silver: No padding. Hold NGC slabs fine. They are too narrow side-to-side to hold newer PCGS slabs at any point along their length. The fins on the slots are too short to keep old green PCGS slabs from twisting out of position, but they are better than Whitman and PCGS boxes in this regard.

2. PCGS blue: No padding. Hold newer PCGS slabs fine. Hold NGC slabs loosely. Fins on the slots are too short to keep old green PCGS slabs from twisting out of position.

3. Whitman blue: Have top and bottom padding, which reduces rattling. Holds newer PCGS slabs so tightly that the last three slots on each end cannot be used. Putting newer PCGS slabs in other slots expands the sides a bit, which makes the lid fit so tightly that it is difficult to remove. Holds NGC slabs very tightly in the end slots and firmly in the others. Fins on the slots are too short to keep old green PCGS slabs from twisting out of position.

It would not be difficult to make a plastic box that will hold all standard NGC and PCGS slabs, past and present. The box needs to be wide enough side to side to accommodate the widest slab (newer PCGS slabs), tall enough to accommodate the tallest slab (NGC), have slot width to accommodate the thickest slab (NGC or newer PCGS) and slot fins long enough that the smallest slabs (old green PCGS) won't twist out. It should also have foam padding on the inside top and bottom. Padding on the fins would be nice, but more difficult to manufacture and replace. All plastic should be inert (i.e. not out-gas chemicals). An option for a stainless steel hinge on one end and stainless steel latch on the other would be nice. Any hardware should be easily removed. Sizes should be for 10, 20 or 40 (double-row) slabs.

Cal

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Hi, @calcol !

I've found that the cardboard box NGC uses to ship slabs back to the submitter works the best for all conventional slabs - NGC, ANACS (white, blue and yellow), PCGS, ICG and SEGS. The double-wide box has paperboard dividers for 50 slabs. The single-wide box has paperboard dividers for 20 slabs. There is no rattling noise AT ALL!

Chris

 

Is there any way to buy the NGC cardboard boxes? In any event, I'd like to avoid cardboard or wood because of potential out-gassing of chemicals, either from the material itself or the finish. Many slabs are not airtight or watertight, something some collectors have learned the hard way. This is an avoidable fault that could be corrected by the grading companies. Slabs should be sealed in an inert atmosphere (argon would work nicely) too, but aren't. The right plastics avoid the out-gassing issue. The safest materials of all are glass and certain metals, but those aren't too practical.

Cal

 

Have you seen the Lighthouse "Intercept Shield" boxes?
http://www.jpscorner.com/coin-slab-boxes-intercept.html

 

Yes, I've seen them. After experimenting with three other brands that didn't work, I decided to ask here. So, has anyone tried the Lighthouse boxes with a variety of old and new NGC and PCGS slabs? However, the Lighthouse boxes don't appear to have fins to separate the slabs. I do not want to mess with sleeves for individual slabs.

Cal

 

I've been using the shipping boxes for more than 10 years to store coins and medals, not only in slabs, but in flips, too, and I've never had a problem with outgassing affecting them.

I'm not sure if yopu can buy the boxes from NGC, but you can always ask......800-642-2646.

Chris

 

For plastic boxes, I like the NGC ones. You can put the newer PCGS slabs in them if you put them in diagonally. You only lose one slot in the box by doing so, so it's not so bad, and you can put in all the other slabs normally.

5 PCGS newer slabs taking up 6 rows in an NGC box.

Personally, I like the Guardhouse Aluminum storage boxes.
https://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Storage-Universal-Certified-Coins/dp/B00D98QW2K/

They sell them in a couple different sizes (this one fits 30 slabs).

 

Giving up one slot per box wouldn't be bad. However, if you have a mix of NGC and PCGS and want them in a particular order (e.g. by date), you may give up more than one slot. Worst case, about one-half of the slots will be lost.

Thanks for bringing up the GuardHouse boxes. I'll look into them, but am concerned about the composition of the lining and the adhesive that holds it in place.

Cal

 

Very true, but it wastes so much space doing that. I've learned to just put all the new PCGS slabs together to save headache, or better yet crack them out and submit them to NGC. PCGS' new slabs are terrible.

I have a few of these. You definitely need to let them air out for a week or so when you get them. They're not perfect, and maybe not the best for storage, however, they are fantastic if you need to transport your coins.