I am sorting and cataloging coins that are currently in the "quarter saver" and "dime saver" packets from the bank and they are not "aging" very well. I have been putting them in 2x2 coin mounts and then in protection pages so I can put them in a binder. Am I going overboard? Should I be selective as to which one's I mount? There seems to be a lot of different supplies to choose from. I chose the coin mounts because I want to preserve the coins as best I can until I determine their value. Any advice would be appreciated. Chop
2x2's are great and inexpensive for temporary storage. One step up are non-PVC flips. Really nice are Airtites.
Chances are, our newcomer doesn't know that IS is 'Intercept Shield' products. Which you would not necessarily need to purchase for everything. If you have circulated coins that have already been handled and beat up, go online and buy some coin tubes for the denominations you need and store them away. Probably plenty of protection. Hard plastic, inert holders like air-tites can be found anywhere if you need them. They work great in a lot of cases as well. IS 2x2's are my favorite holders for more expensive coins, although I have some nice 10-$20 coins in them that I really like as well. Get yourself a large silica gel pack that can be recharged in the oven for a lifetime of use. They work incredibly well.
Air-tites are nice holders as long as you really don't believe they are air-tight. Try putting a drop of colored ink in the center of one and closing it tight and immersing it into a clear container of water. See how long it takes the water to become colored. At first, I thought maybe I got ink on the outside of it, but several repeats with careful cleaning of the outside had the same result. If ink molecules can leak out, air and its components can leak in. Intercept shield products are a finite layer and thus finite protection as you can't regenerate their activity. The IS site says something about 10 yrs, which I assume is when you have to replace them. If you really want that protection, it is much less expensive to place the coin into a polyethylene sheath and put into a safe non pvc flip. If that is not enough, use a heat sealer to seal the flip to keep out air and put into an IS brand 2x2 box. That should cost less than 20 cents a coin at online prices and provide enough protection unless you store them in a coal driven locomotive. Human handling of coins causes more problems on the average than the environment. The great collections of the early years weren't in this type of protection and yet most are magnificent, because their owners were very picky about their handling. I used to think that mylar lined 2x2 were sufficient, but after 20 years, I would like to show you the distinctive "4-corner" toning from staples on many of my morgans. Jim
I recommend you go to egypt and or greece and you will see that what environment does is far more damaging then what humans do
Chop, here's a good overview on holders: Coin Holders Part 1 Coin Holders Part 2 That may help you decide among the different ones to choose from. For me I use a few different holders on my unslabbed coins. I have not found one holder that works well for all coins. I use, Mylar flips, Air-Tites, CoinEdge Holders and Intercept Shield holders. It all depends on the coin, it's size, condition, value, etc. I even use archival zip-lock poly bags on some huge ancients and moderns that will not fit in anything else. And I like the CoinEdge Holders when I want to be able to see the edge. The most important factor for me is that they are archival and safe. (As much as is possible.)
