Best Storage for Valuable Ancients

True - you have a great collection... however I do not think we're talking about an educated "coin thief" here.. but the general fear, as I understand it, is word getting around in our local area (through friends or whatnot) that one of us has valuable coins or collectables in our home. So a "smash and grab" thief may act on this information.. and probably have no idea what the get - they see silver or gold... and sell at bulk at pennies on the dollar. May take years and pass through many hands before you were to see a stolen coin on eBay, or auction. etc... and the seller may have no idea that they were stolen at some point. Your chance of retrieval is minimal.
I keep my coins at home .. I do not have very valuable coins at all so do not worry about it.
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I like Jeanne Moos - a (sort of) reporter for CNN. I say "sort of" with no disrespect .. she usually reports on fun little takes on society that she has a great knack of communicating. Sort of like the way Andy Rooney did for decades on 60 Minutes.
I remember her doing "man on the street" interviews during the Stock Market crash of 2007... first few guys she talked to were ready to jump off a ledge... it was dire.. the end! One guy, very well dressed and groomed, smiling and just a jolly guy, just chuckled and said "I was broke yesterday and I'm broke today... I'm always good - how are you, I hope you are OK?".

Sure he lost nothing that time - but you got the impression he had been up and down .. Yet he was more concerned about others..
Roll with it! Life is great!!
What a star. I'll never forget that guy.

 

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I’m moving towards Zecchi coin trays crafted as books: good quality velvet trays with a velvet cover and a plexiglas sheet, within a wood case covered in soft leather. They can be stored in bookshelves or in a medium size safe

 

They look nice. Am I correct in assuming that they're meant to be stored flat like other trays, and that if you actually kept one of them upright on a shelf like a book, the coins would all fall to the bottom? The only reason that the coins in trays that I display upright (see my photos) are able to stay in place is that the holders in which I keep them are angled back on a slant.

 

@DonnaML if closed you can actually keep them upright as in my first pic. The tray is stuck at the cover, there is a thick velvet sheet to be put on it, and when the plexiglas sheet is locked the coins are between two layers of velvet and can’t move. The third picture shows the tray closed and secures, you have only to close the cover and can put it upright as in my first pic. Of course you have to open it to see the coins and take them.

 

Thanks. What a great idea.

 

I bought that one as an attempt to better accomodate my romano-campanian coins, as their sizes are so diverse. Now I’m going to move all the republican denarii in these trays and put them between my RR coinage books.

 

I'm very tempted, although in my experience the costs of shipping trays and similar items from Italy or other European countries to the USA tend to be prohibitive. It's the reason I stopped buying Lindner trays and switched to Lighthouse -- also a German company, but they apparently have a U.S. distributor.

 

I don’t know to the US, domestic shipping is free as their products are quite expensive. They have an ebay store, you can check there.

 

I just got this box from Abafil...



And a short time later...



Presto! - most of my RR coins housed - they were already in Abafil trays, but just stacking trays wasn't a great solution. This "Marmotta" case houses 20 trays, though not the extra-deep trays, so it doesn't hold a tray of early cast coins, but the rest of the RR stuff fits

ATB,
Aidan.

 

Wow @akeady!!! This is the definitive accomodation for a collection! When you’re done filling it post some pic!

 

I was lucky my wife found this on ebay and got it for my birthday. Its mahogany and made in Columbia. Ironically it had to be shipped from England. I love the vintage look. I also use wall displays for some big bronze with dissident packs and usually ren wax and that keeps the humidity out. I don't worry about thieves since all my friends are dead emperors. Lol

 

I know from England it was like $90.00. I know ouch! But I love it.

 

Is that the one with 20 crown size intents on each tray except the bottom drawer which is double deep? I got mine in an antique shop 25 years ago. I believe they started with a set of modern medals but my case came with none.

 

Wow, yes it is. That is very cool. We saw it last year and had to get it. Of course it took 60 days to get here. Lol I go crazy on unclean lots sometimes and keep them in that drawer for rainy days. I just love its feel.

 

Mine is mostly empty save for meteorites in the drawer.

 

Very very nice! I love its look. I have no complaints with mine. I keep denarius and ants in mine. Was worried I would have to put silica in the drawers due to crazy humidity in summer but it did fine on its own.

 

I love the stereoscope viewer. Is it an antique?

 

A primitive and inexpensive multi-purpose storage/display system that I use for my “twenty Ancient coin” collection: I thought it might suggest uses for easily transporting and displaying coins at coin shows, club meetings, luncheons, etc.


Coins in a carry strap re-enforced nylon shoulder bag - each coin in a SAFLIP, and then 2 groups of ten in a ubiquitous twenty pocket page vinyl loose leaf detachable coin page that is cut in two horizontally and folded. Dealer and provenance tags are included in the SAFLIPS. Other shoulder bag pockets are used for money, identification cards, etc.


Two groups of ten coins in SAFLIPS. Left arrangement shows page open for easy examination of coins and provenance cards, etc.
As above except for the page on right being folded for storage in shoulder carry bag.


As above except one coin on the right is depicted as it would be for close examination of the actual coin.


Above is a photo of my soulmate and me participating in our favorite sport. The pizza tastes better when I know the coins are secure! I do not find the shoulder bag awkward or obtrusive. That isn’t an oxygen tube across my chest - it is the cord of my shoulder bag that houses my ancient coin collection which goes with me everywhere (and when I am home sits on my bedside table). I ogle and fondle each of my coins every day

 

Mine are in a normal velvet case (like a small briefcase) and then I put that in a fire protective bag (I'm as scared of my house burning down and destroying my collectibles as I am of being robbed). This bag is then hidden in a place a thief would never think to look, but which is easily accessible for me to look at my coins whenever I want.

 

Ah, you are a man after my own heart, @Orfew! (I also love to hold them in my hands - and dream about what they may have witnessed).