I have many rolls of Unc red 50s-70s bronze cents at the moment in paper rolls. I was wondering what the best way to long term store them to keep luster and red. I currently have them in a food grade container. Should I move them into a air tight container? Should I put silica packets in the container to keep moisture out? Any opinions would be appreciated!
Hey @Corn Man! Tic Tac (my Dog), thinks Nothing is 100% airtight but he likes the "do it yourself" slab style holders for special coins and Cardboard 2x2's for the rest seem to keep things somewhat airtight and problem free, for him anyways. Never liked those silica packets( afraid the dog will get at). Hope this was somewhat helpful.
Humidity is your biggest enemy. While these aren’t 100%, they are pretty good…. I have my coins in Ziplock backs stuffed inside Tupperware boxes. A little packet of desiccant adds some extra insurance.
I've held Unc cents from the 50's and 60's up to recent and had no issues with them. They were in the paper wraps.
Yeah thats what im most worried about because I live in Southern Louisiana and the hunidity is bad all year.
You need some kind of secure climate control scheme. Also, if you move or handle the rolls frequently the coins will rub together and you will damage them. The end coins of open-end style rolls will tarnish without air tight protection. I don’t store any coins in rolls or tubes, they are all in air tight capsules or flips. Preventing any further coin-to-coin contact or handling damage is a top priority.
Trying to protect entire rolls would make 2x2s and individual Air-Tite™ too expensive, not to mention time consuming. I would go with your first thought and store them in Tupperware® (don't forget to "burp" it. LOL) with little packets of desiccant. If you are worried about the quality of the wrapper paper, then transfer them to clear, plastic, coin tubes and then storage them. Just my thoughts on it.
The end coins are the ones that would be most affected. Less humidity would help ensure their security. Good question thanks for asking and sharing. Good luck.
More than likely, the paper from the rolls will already have slightly toned the coins at the edge. I would put them in plastic tubes, then store in some ziplocks with a desiccant packet. Since these are already 50-70 years old, it wouldn't surprise me if you see some small toning spots on some of them. If any are pristine, then it may be worth it to take those and put them in their own individual holder. Those I would not touch with bare fingers but with cotton gloves. Open the rolls very carefully! You just might have some beautiful gems. The coins from this era have a much stronger strike and deeper relief than what we currently get. Enjoy the process and maybe share a picture or two with us of what you find!
oh, and if you use 2x2 paper flips, buy high quality ones and make sure they have mylar plastic and make sure to flick the flip with your finger and also use a soft cloth to wipe the plastic off prior to closing them on a coin. They work well, but you have to make sure that the paper dust has been removed so the coin will not be damaged. Also using a pair of pliers, pinch flat the staples. I have coins that I put in flips about 20 years ago and they still look great.
Heres a example of one of the rolls. I have about 75 dollars face value. From 1955 to 1980. All are BU. A Majority of the rolls are 1959pd,1960pd,1969s,1972d, and 1968s
Nice! I love the 1968 cents as they seem to be the best struck with a great relief. Makes our current cents look pathetic. It looks to me that whatever has been done so far has worked well. Using a Dessicant in a sealed container should work well for you without much else.
Store them in inert materials in a climate controlled environment and pray. I don't like red copper and usually avoid buying it. I remember many years ago a dealer got a complete Lincoln Cent set from 1934 to date in red Uncirculated for a want list customer. They were in one of those all vinyl albums. I wonder what they look like today? Some people pay insane (as far as I'm concerned) numbers for red Mint State cents in high grade slabs from the 1950s. My advice to those guys is "good luck to you." Don't try to sell them to me when the time comes.
Are you sure you aren't talking about the 1969 cents. The 1968 cents were the last use of the original Brenner artwork, and Lincoln was little more than a shadow. Here's one on Proof. Here's a 1969.
If the coins have been in the same paper rolls for 50+ years, whatever is going to happen has for the most part already happened. Unrolling only creates an opportunity for new contamination. Just keep them dry and as airtight as possible.
