Is it ok to put ancient coins in a flip?

Tonight is the night.

In about 20 minutes I will be cracking open my NGC holder (the first time I’ve ever done so) with my Ch VF graded Trajan tetradrachm of Tyre.

But I have a question:

I know a lot of you guys use those velvet tray things but I don’t have one of those and even if I did it wouldn’t fit in my safe.

When I crack it out is it okay to put it in a plastic flip for storage in my safe?

I don’t just want to put it in my safe raw so if anyone has any other suggestions on how to store it in a small safe please let me know .

 

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Absolutely, it's safe! All of my coins are in flips. Just make sure they are archival quality, free of PVC.

 

Sure, so long as they are PVC free. I could see some ancients that would be a tight fit for a flip but a denarius should be fine.

 

Thanks! How can I tell if they are archival quality/free of PVC?

The ones I have were sent to me by APMEX & JMB when I placed orders for bullion rounds. They would put them in the flips when they mailed them to me but I have no idea if they are PVC free.

 

Oh no it’s not a denarius it’s a Trajan tetradrachm. My Trajan denarius is staying in its slab xD

This is the coin I’m cracking out.

 

If they are of rather soft, pliable plastic, they are not archival. You want the stiff kind that seem almost brittle. The best way is to buy a supply of archival ones. I use Saflip brand from Wizard Coin Supply.

 

I agree with @Roman Collector. All my coins are in Saflips and mine also came from Wizard. They're pretty quick to ship if you can hold off on your crackout for a few days.

 

Non PVC flips are hard enough that I would insert a thick silver coin with extra care to avoid abrasion. I use paper envelopes. For the record, trays are not perfect either. There are coins stored for a long period in trays in places with a lot of vibrations (from subway trains?) that show polish on the high points of the reverse after a long period. These are sometimes seen listed as 'cabinet friction'. There is no perfect answer.

 

Sorry I didn't read your original post closely enough. That should be fine too. The PVC-free flips are stiff and in principle they could put pressure on a coin. So I might think twice about a really thick or a fragile coin. But 99% of coins should be no problem.

 

Oh envelopes will work too? I have lots of paper envelopes that I use to send mail.

 

Hmm yeah I’ll do that. There is no rush on me cracking it out. It won’t hurt the coin to stay in a slab for another week.

The only downside is I won’t be able to hold it in my hand for a while xD.

I’m excited to hold an ancient coin in my hand for the first time since all of my ancients are currently slabbed.

I also want to weigh the coin since I’m very interested in the weights and silver/gold purity of ancient coinage.

 

I don't want to put words in @dougsmit's mouth, but I don't think he means mailing envelopes. There are much smaller coin sized envelopes that are available from coin supply places. I think these are what he is talking about.

 

Ohhhh my bad. I misunderstood.

Well darn. Mailing envelopes are one of few things I have plenty of. xD

 

I just checked over at Wizard and the coin envelopes are pretty cheap, like around $3 for 50 envelopes. The Saflips run around $9 per pack of 50. Your choice of which way you want to go, for ancients I think either way is a good way.

 

If you are leaving all your other coins in slabs, perhaps you would like a slab size plastic box that snaps open and closed. These cost a lot more than paper envelopes of flips but would stack with your other coins.
They come in several brands and hole sizes. I have no experience with them but they might be something you might investigate.
https://www.google.com/search?q=coi...3j0i22i30l6.3383j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

It’s fun to make the labels.

 

That’s so cool!! ^_^

I’ve seen coins sell with labels like that but usually it’s private companies vastly overcharging for common ancient coins with expensive fancy labels & packaging.

 

Most paper envelopes will cause the coins to tone over time. Some collectors like this, others don't.

@Deacon Ray, those labels are beautiful. Do you print them on regular 8 1/2" x 11" and then cut them out, or do you use something pre-formatted? Any particular reason why you don't include the size and weight?

 

Sorry but no. It is slabbed and graded, that in itself is a plus. I would find a secure place that you trust would be safe. My opinion only. The decision is solely you're own! Good luck.

 

Here's a link to a previous CoinTalk thread that includes the topic of labels for flips:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-organization-and-attribution-at-work.250251/