Coin pages and three ring binders

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Where would you get archival 2x2s? I've never noticed any that mentioned being archival.

 

I checked out the binder that @Bayern gave a link to. It's made of polyester. Do any of our knowledgeable CTers know if polyester outgasses or if it is inert?

Steve

 

@Stevearino - Polyester is supposed to be inert.

https://postalmuseum.si.edu/collections/preservation/choosing-safe-plastics.html

 

This is why every raw coin I buy gets a bath in acetone, even if the coin looks pristine. I have no way of knowing how or where the previous owner stored the coin, and whether or not there are invisible contaminants lurking on its surface.

That's actually the worst solution. Either clean your polluted coins, or get them as far as possible from any coins you own that aren't contaminated.

 

the acid is actually every where, not just on coins. I try to eliminate contaminants but there is also an adage "The dose makes the poison"

 

...speaking of chemistry...the problem with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is that it is really a rigid solid and to make it flexible they pump in lots of a plasticizer that is kind of like an oil, it makes it flexible, but it can exude over time and that is why whatever you have in contact with it gets sticky. Now, the plasticizer really isn't acid, but it can trap lots of stuff and hold them close to the coins. The PVC by itself can decompose over time and give off what Doug was talking about, hydrogen chloride gas, which forms hydrochloric acid when dissolved in water. If the PVC is giving off hydrogen chloride, it is probably starting to look yellowish. Acetone is pretty cheap and you really should consider giving all your coins a bath. You can put lots of them in a container (glass please) and clean them all at the same time. Just remember to change the acetone a few times and dispose of the old stuff carefully. The safest plastic to use would be polyester (PET, polyethylene terphthalate, terelene, etc.) but polyethylene and polypropylene should be safe too.

 

Polywannacracker?

 

some pages I've seen feature seven holes - three each at top and bottom and one in the center. Some of the used three hole binders I've used don't exactly match the outside holes. By offering a selection the pages fit whatever you've got. If you are worried about tarnish avoid the cardboard flips and use the plastic flips made for coins. Since I rarely have to deal with anything but worn coins the paper cardboard flips work fine for me. good luck

 

I quit using the coin pages years ago as I found they create heavy binders and some storage issues. I now use 2X2 boxes or Dansco albums for space saving and coin protection. Almost all my "precious" coins,(high grade) regardless of value or denomination are placed in airtites as I am not fond of toning and I have some old storage boxes that will hold 48 airtites in each. I go out of my way to try and protect each and every coin! I figure if it was worth buying it is worth protecting.

 

binders have another issue, if they are thick, it will be not smooth when turning pages.
at first I thought it depends on the design of rings and the material of pages, later I find that for thin binders page turning is very smooth

 

Good to know.

So the sticky thing itself is not any form of HCl (hydrochloric acid)? I guess the sticky thing also contains no water so there are not much HCl dissolved in it. Also acetone is for washing off sticky residuals, it has nothing to do with HCl.

It is hard to buy 100% acetone online, when I search "acetone" I find a lot of de-gumming products, they are not 100% pure acetone, some products even advertising "0% acetone"

 

According to Kentucky's explanation:
pages emit hydrogen chloride gas + water in the air = HCl
pages emit plasticizer = sticky residual

If I throw away PVC pages and keep the coins, there are only sticky residual, will be no more new HCl, and there are supposed to be no HCl left in the residual because the residual does not contain much water.

this is the optimistic view

 

...close. The hydrogen chloride gas can dissolve in the plasticizer that deposits on the coins as can some atmospheric moisture, making hydrochloric acid that would be held close to the coin. Have you tried to buy acetone on Alibaba or Made-in-china.com

 

the contaminated coins are most common types, I'll try to clean them if I can get acetone. As long as the dose of HCl inside residual is not enough to cause visible corrosion to my new collections..

 

@Hdyr
You've received a lot of valuable and trustworthy information in this thread. I hope you will put it into practice and not keep coming back with reasons why it is not practical. The ball is in your court, my friend.

Steve