I have a few collections going at the moment - some culled from piggy banks and pockets, other obtained from dealers. Here's a look into how the various collections are stored. Lincoln cents: - coins pulled from circulation in a Dansco album, my son's are in 3 Whitman folders - uncirculated and high end circulated in 2x2's in binder sheets - received a 1909 through 1940 collection (low grades - less keys) in a Whitman album (kept in album) Jefferson nickels: - pulled from circulation (1962 to 1995) in a Whitman folder - pulled from circulation (either side of the Whitman years) in 2x2's in binder sheets - high end circulated and uncirculated (including Wartime silver) in 2x2's and binder sheets Mercury dimes: - uncirculated and high end circulated in 2x2's - several coins in TPG holders (loose) Roosevelt dimes: - pulled from circulation in 2x2's and binder sheets Walking Liberty halfs: - circulated and uncirculated in 2x2's and binder sheets Misc. World coins: - A through F in 2x2's and binder sheets - G through Z in 2x2's and 2x2 box (ran out of binder sheets) - several proofs in mint packaging Some of the 2x2 sheets are in a regular office supply binder and others are just loose. I picked up a 7 quart plastic bin for the coin supplies (2x2's, stapler...). The collection and storage bin all fit into a drawer. The reference books are in a brief case and the coin series books are in a bookshelf. FYI -the bookshelf is next to the gun cabinet. -Steve
Very timely thread. I just purchased some gem proof Kennedy's from my dealer, 1964-1979, and I was wondering how I was going to display them. I wanted to put them in 2x2's and put them in sheets. My concern is, being proofs, will the 2x2's protect them adequately. Also, do you use the 2x2's that you have to staple shut, or the ones that are sealed by adhesive? I hate the stapled look, but have reservations that perhaps the adhesive will do some harm to the coins?
TC: I agree that the staples are kinda ugly. If you use them, be sure to use a pair of pliers to crush them down, so that they won't rip another case, or the page. Also, some of the pages have PVC, so that is the only reason that I hesitate to use them. Good luck.
my proofs are Canadian and came in plastic holders from the Royal Mint. some even came in fancy cases that resemble jewelry holders. if you are uncomfortable with them in 2x2's, then you shoudl not use them. you might look at getting plastic holders or even plastic flips. i use the standard stapled cardboard 2x2's. i did myself a huge favor and bought a flat cinch stapler - this single purchase has made all the difference in using the 2x2's. the staples are smaller and don't distract like the large standard staples do. i use 3 staples per holder and use pliers and a light squeeze to embed the staple into the 2x2. this gives the flat cinch a low profile on the reverse of the 2x2 and minimize risk of damage if a smaller coin is stored next to a larger coin in a 2x2 box. -Steve
my collection is in a box in my room, my brothers have finally learned to stay away from it through years of aggressive behavior when I see them anywhere near it, though two are now outta the house....thank god. My dad and I want to get a nice safe for the basement due to him basically being the main provider to my collection. I do not like those cardboard flips at all and have some world coins in plastic ones, but most are in a folder, 2x2's, rolls and recently I have been using coin edge.
its basically a 2x2 holder that allows you to see the edge of the coins. I actually got them mixed up with kointains awhile ago and bought the coinedge by mistake but now like them instead. http://brent-krueger.com/coinedge1.html
I find the safest method is to dig a large hole in your yard, fill the bottom with concrete, place coins on that, add more concrete to bring the hole almost up to grade. Then add dirt, grass seeds and water. :goofer: Or you could buy liquid plastic from a hobby store. Place all your coins on a flat plastic sheet, pour the liquid plastic over that. For staples if you have the standard Swingline brand, and some others, you will notice the bottom strike plate is removable. Replace with a flat sheet of metal. Staples will end up flat. If not there are pliers on the market that close flat so you just flatten the staples with that. If you use those 2x2's and place them in those plastic sheets that hold 20 per page, put that in a 3 ringed binder, you have a safe place for coins. I'll stick to my Whitman Classic Albums.
Wacky idea I had a wacky idea a couple of months ago. I ran across some of those blank dansco album pages that are marked in millimeters - so you get the right size for the coin you want. I got a few for $2 each. I thought of using those especially for temp storage if I was waiting for something to complete a sub-set or if I just wanted to have a few of the same type of coin side-by-side to look/compare them. I got a couple pages for each type - cent, dime, etc. I also had a blank dansco album, so I put one page of each in the album. Alas, work and life have interrupted my actually putting this plan into practice, but it might be an interesting alternative for some of you if you think this type of storage would be useful.
