I would like to get a safe eventually. However, my collection isn't worth much now, so it doesn't seem very cost effective yet...especially to buy a nice safe that's good and heavy, fire resistant, etc. So, for those of you that don't use safes or safety deposit boxes to store your coins, what type of container do you keep your coins in? I would like to get something that I could put some containers of the silica dessicant into also. And, yes Bone, I do have cigar boxes, but I don't really want that nice cedar toning on everything.
I kept my collection on a book shelf in three ring binders for the longest time. When I moved on to air-tite containers, I made use of a few cigar boxes. It wasn't too much longer, after that, that I purchased a safe for my home. What do you keep most of your coins in? 2x2s, air-tite or something else?
Well Rick, I have my slabbed coins in an slab storage box, I have quite a few coins in 2x2s that are in a cardboard 2x2 box, I have a handful of coins in AirTites and some coins in a roll tube. Oh, I also have a few ancients in paper envelopes. That's about it...not a big collection.
gx, sandwhich boxes, like Rubbermaid containers? I thought about getting one of the medium sized Rubbermaid containers and putting some silica gel dessicant in there, but don't know if there's PVC in the not-designed-for-food storage type containers that they make...or any other things that could harm coins for that matter.
I wonder how much PVC is used nowadays in such containers, especially knowing how dangerous PVC can be. I was thinking of tupperware, which should be polyethylene. The difference between PVC and polyethylene is that PVC contains the ever horrible Chlorine chemical, which in turn if it breaks down becomes a weak hydrochloric acid.
You might try your nearest Army/Navy Store (Military surplus) to see if they have any test equipment. The boxes usually have an water-tight and somewhat air-tight seal. The cases come with a valve to eliminate the difference between the outside air and inside air and the valve can be closed. When I was in the service, these boxes, together with dessicants, kept all electronic devices 'high and dry'.
So, this is a box that is used to test things by the military? You think that this kind of box may be good for coin storage? What is it made of? How big are they?
The boxes I have seen were used to protect test equipment from the elements. There were also 'spare parts kits' with various components in them. The outer shell was ususally made of fiberglass or aluminium. They were olive drab or Navy grey. They had handles and a pressure relief valve because after they were unused for a period of time, the dessicant caused a lessening of the air pressure inside. You could hear the air rush in when you opened the valve. I would think that either at a Military Surplus store or maybe even on line, these would be available.
While you are in that Army/Navy store, pick up some ammo boxes. Get ones in good condition with the rubber seal in the top intact. They make great storage containers for coins ! And they cost less than $5 usually And Tupperware works just fine - it has no PVC.
My Whitman folders hold coins as they are pretty well, though the silver coins tend to tone a bit, not badly though. The rest of my coins I keep in 2x2's, which themselves are in 20 pocket plastic sheets in 3 ring binders kept in a reasonably dry place (humidity isn't much of a problem in Colorado, lol). Rest I have in Tupperware or Rubbermade containers that keep them nice and dry, made out of I think polyethylene (non-reactive, anyway). Never had a problem with coins deteriorating with they way they're stored. Don't have any of especially high value, probably my most valuable single coin is worth about $20, but I try to keep them well anyway, and doesn't seem to require anything fancy or expensive to keep them maintained.
Okay, two more questions for you all. GD, you don't think that storing coins inside of an ammo can would make the ammo can impart any toning, etc. to the coins? Most of my ammo cans have just a little rust on them. Will this hurt the coins? Also, I don't have any tupperware. How about the Rubbermaid stuff though? I'm just concerned about it because the containers I'm thinking of are not necessarily made for food, but for home storage. You know the kind...maybe a few gallons, usually clear with a blue lid on them or something like that. These actually seem ideal to me right now as long as they won't hurt my coins. I could also get a container of the silica dessicant to put in there with them.
I'd just buy a new ammo can - without rust. As for Rubbermaid - they do make food strorage products. So these would not have PVC. But some of their other product lines do contain PVC. It should be easy enough to check the label to see what a given product is made of.
I like ammo cases, nice and rugged, and waterproof too I usually put 2x2's into long boxes and then put those boxes into a medium sized ammo box and put a lock on it. As far as security, if a robber gets past my shotgun, it wont much matter will it?
