I have been enjoying reading a few of the threads here, and am beginning to wonder about how i have my penny collection. We bought an H. E. Harris book for them. Is that a good place to put them? After collecting for years and years, I finally found the time to do something with them. They had been in a box, moving with us. Thank you.
Welcome to the forum young lady. For copper/steel/copper-plated zinc in circulated condition there is nothing wrong with any of the commercial albums. For uncirculated, or almost uncirculated coins, be careful of those folders as the handling required to fit them in, and the possible rubbing from the plastic cover slides, can potentially affect their appearance. You can estimate how many you have by weighing them and figuring 160 per pound. That won't be exact, as the cents from 1909-42, and again from 1944-81, weigh 3.11 grams (146 to the pound), the 1943 steel cents weigh 2.7 grams (168 to the pound), and from 1982 on they weigh 2.5 grams (182 to the pound); so the age of your hoard will affect the count. Even heavy wear takes an insignificant toll on the weight. One suggestion - get some books, at the very least the current Red Book available in most book stores, and study up on the key dates and best known errors/varieties before you start your search. That way you will know what to look for the first time through.
I use the Harris folders for my pocket change collection. I use Air-Tite albums for several other collections, including my brand-spankin' new uncirculated State Quarters collection. I have a "runner-up" Type collection in cardboard/mylar 2x2s and plastic notebook binder pages. I printed up some little display cards to mix in with the coins identifying what they are. For example: "QUARTER. Standing Liberty 1916 - 1930" They came out fantastic, a really inspired choice of typefaces, but shortly after I decided to put the "main" Type collection in an Air-Tite album. I wasn't going to do a state quarters collection (other than what was in my pocket change quarters folder) until I saw how good the uncirculated quarters looked in direct-fit Air-Tites along with how good the Air-Tite State Quarters album looked. I do have one other collection, sort of. I have a jewelry box in the shape and design of an old pirates treasure chest. I filled it with exceptionally shiny cents, dimes, quarters, and Sacagaweas that didn't go into any of the other collections. Looks like a chest full of gold and silver.
I have some Dansco books, but then again my collection isn't that nice. A word to the wise though, for a while I had my coins on either side of my little stereo. The stereo was 10+ years old but worked fine. However, it started blowing fuses every month or so. It took me about a year to realize that the coins were too close. When I moved my books to the next shelf down, no more blown fuses
A little off subject...but does anyone make a us proof set album, not box? TIA PS I found mint set albums but not proof sets.
A local dealer has a couple of statehood quarter albums that are designed to be suitable for the uncirculated coins and the proof issues, he also has one that is halfway ( of course ) completed, and it's the nicest thing i've ever seen, even though I dislike the statehood quarters.
