Mahogany Coin Cabinet (Advice From Anyone Who Has Actually Used One)

I am pretty sure its solid but i never study the box when i have it out, instead i am always looking at the coins inside. Heres one just like mine, but i removed the foam piece that holds the quarters
Its perfect for a slabbed box of 20

 

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I think people are getting carried away with caution. Unless you live in a tent you are living in a giant off-gassing wooden box. There is far worse in the air than gasses from wood, with all of the materials in a modern house. I'd buy some antique mahogany furniture (they are practically giving it away these days) and tear it apart for the wood.

 

I really don't know what the cabinet is made out of, but it has pretty tight grains and is not stained from what I can tell. It is varnished though.

 

I'm not sure what mine's made of. I will say it was probably at least 20 years old already when I brought it home from the flea market, and that it is a solid wood rather than any plywood.

 

If I had to guess, I would say it's probably dark cherry wood. Mahogany, rosewood, and cherry are probably the only woods I would consider making a coin cabinet out of.

 

I'm also considering making one. I'm planning on making it with 2x2 sections to hold vinyl flips, separated by dividers held in place with dado joints. I want to use walnut and brass since I like the look, but I'm unsure whether or not walnut is safe. One question I have is whether or not Tung oil is safe, because it is by far my favorite stain. I plan on putting my ancient coins in there, since I don't really have a place for them other than a plastic box that doesn't really look that great. I'm making it sort of like a briefcase, with brass locking furniture and hinges. I don't think it should affect my coins very much, since they've survived this long already, but who knows? If walnut's going to be terribly reactive, I'll switch to mahogany or cherry since those were mentioned earlier to be safer.

 

If you never will open the wood container, I doubt very much that any possible outgassing would create damage. Copper strips or sheets that are arranged inside back of the wood frames or on bottom of wood drawers or boxes AND roughed up with emery paper to produce raw copper surfaces as any gases that would affect silver or copper would be co-joined to the roughened copper strip/plates surface. When that copper becomes red-brown, rough the surfaces up again. Similar and basically the process INTERCEPT brand uses, IMO, Jim

 

I really never thought about that Gem.
A great indicator of how the conditions are "in" the cabinet.

 

I modified an old secretary's desk into a coin cabinet. I haven't had a problem in plenty over 5 years. Yes, coins do turn and yes, I am sure that there is some off gassing.

I would be leery of having a coin cabinet if you have major shifts in temperature and humidity.

I have been going thru some older parts of my collection and my office is a mess.



Hey @Curtisimo Hope all is well with you and your family.