Can anyone tell me if it is safe to store coins in a Rubbermaid plastic container? I know there are problems with PVC and I'm not sure what the Rubbermaids are made out of. Thank you in advance for your help.
Actually, I work in a plant that produces bacon. Our plastic wrap around the finished product contains PVC. It makes up about 3/8's of the vacuum sealed wrap. So, I wouldn't feel overly safe with food storage products unless I seen the components listed. BTW... I've worked at this plant for 18 years and I was the mechanic on the film extruder for a while.
I don't think they contin any real rubber either... I have some mint bags for storage.. they're ok right? You can always put THOSE inside a PVC product.. the problem comes in when there is DIRECT metal/PVC contact.. NO?
No, it is the vapor that is given off by the PVC that does the damage. And it can go right through cloth and settle on the the coins in the bag.
I don't worry about coins in tubes, but I worry about coins in slabs (which are supposedly not air tight) and in proof set lenses. I put either put the slab or holder into a plastic container with a dessicant packet or put a desiccant packet into the storage box. Anyone know if the standard mint-issued proof set lenses are air tight? I also worry about coins in albums. Has anyone had experience storying albums in a container with a dessicant?
I have assumed (perhaps naively) that the single coin capsules the Mint packages coins in are air tight. I have some 25 year-old George Washington half dollar proof coins in mint-provided capsules that look brand new. How would that be possible if they weren't air tight? If they aren't, I'm going to have to rethink my storage strategy. Perhaps I'll move to Arizona.
Airtights might not be air tight, but they are pretty air-resistant. Anyway, I've never had a problem with them for long term storage. Time and the elements will eventually erode just about everything, but airtites are worth the money in my opinion.
