I use coins in the classroom both at my university and even in a Sunday School class that I teach at my church. I want people to touch the coins and connect with the material culture of the era we’re studying, but that means a certain degree of unavoidable risk when it comes to handling a coin outside its flip. In an earlier thread I wrote, “I still haven’t figured out an ideal methodology of passing a coin around [a] room. I want students to handle the coin out of a flip, but more than once I’ve heard the clink of a coin hitting the ground, and it makes me wince. Perhaps they could handle the coin over a wide tray. Still not sure how to balance showability with safety.” I think it was @TIF who suggested getting a jeweler’s tray. I recently found a product that is attractive and suitable for the purpose. Moreover, it’s CHEEEAAAP. $4.99! It’s a velvet tray, a bit smaller than a traditional jeweler’s tray: Susada Jewelry Trays https://www.amazon.com/Susada-Jewelry-Stackable-Inserts-Display/dp/B076Q2JTFS Of course, no tray is foolproof; a student can bring a coin up to the eye and still drop it to the ground. But asking people to handle the coin over the tray, and circulating the tray rather than the coin around the room, does reduce risk. The tray seems to be of good quality, with decent velvet and a solid back and tall 1" sides. I cannot comment on the chemical makeup of the tray or if it would be suitable for long-term storage. But I didn't buy this tray for storage. I bought a red one for circulating coins in a group context, and then today ordered an imperial purple one because I like the red one so much. Here are some pix. Coins sold separately.
I think that is a great idea - and application - Gavin. You are a very accomplished “teacher of coins” and their associated history in my opinion.
That looks perfect for the occasion, I would also add some "divisions" in order to avoid a possible hit between coins when passing around.
I have used standard half size trays and always with fewer coins at a time and always with the rule that at no time may more than one coin be out of the tray at one time. That way the coins stay together with the proper label material.
The red tray is very nice. I think you're doing all you can do to minimize the possibility of the coins being dropped on the floor and damaged. I pass coins around occasionally but only the giveaways and none from my personal collection. I have a big Ptolemaic coin that I often pass around. I think the larger the coin, the better that people can hold on to it. You're doing great work and using ancient coins in your teaching is wonderful.
Thanks for the heads up. The trays look good to me and I thought I would get examples of three different colors. But the checkout system did not give me an option to specify different quantities of different colors (3,2,1). It only let me do a single batch (6). Am I missing something?
I don't know. I just ordered one, and after it came, I ordered another. You may just have to order one at a time. It's free shipping anyway (!). Maybe if you want 3 black ones, you have to make three single orders. Just not sure. Let me know what you find out. Mine did take a couple of weeks to come in. But for less than $5 shipped, I wasn't complaining.
So a purple one of these just came in. It had been mis-addressed, and this one had some imperfections in the felt. I guess you get what you pay for; it's still worth $4.99. But I think the coins look better on red than purple. (Coins were used to teach Apuleius today. All hail Isis!)
What if they drop the tray or tilt it when passing it around. The coins aren't securely held during tray transitions. I would just put the tray on a table and have people go to it one at a time. Why pass anything around at all?
Well, I’m not circulating EF aurei. I do want each student to handle the coin/s, not just look at them. I am not looking to completely remove risk, just minimize it.
The coin dealer that allows the local club to borrow coins at a discount and if sold, the club gets the overage, always has bags full of USmint presentation cases for free to members. These are the felt like material with the snap shut ring-case appearance the 'special event' coins come in. He keeps the coin and tosses us the cases. I have put my own single coins in one and pass them individually for show and tell. We get dozens of bullion coin tubes also as he sells the coins off. Lucky he has a small shop with little extra space
