Are Dansco albums safe for the long-term storage of collections? I ask because I was at a local dealer this Saturday and he had a Dansco album with a complete set of silver Eagles on display. Most of the coins had a ring of toning at the rim where they were in contact with the album that extended about 1/4" into the coin.
Umm toning is not bad! Actually yes they are a good album. Unfortunately over time the book falls apart. Intercept makes a Museum quality album but they fall apart even faster than the other albums.
Corrosion is Ugly That's an "in the eye of the beholder" opinion. Personally, I think toning is ugly and I prefer to refer to it as corrosion.
Well, regardless of album or storage, coins will eventually tone, as all metals do. Even in a vaccum, it's a proven fact metals will tone over time. Guy~
Well if you are not a fan of toning, place all of your coins in airtites and then vacuum seal them in foodsaver bags. Air causes the oxidation ..remove the air and you should be good (except for the air that is still in whatever you sealed the coin in). Not only albums but the environment in which you store your collection will also contribute to toning. Keep them out of high heat and humidity to reduce the possibility of "corrosion." Good luck.
If you don't like toning, I wouldn't use any album. I would recommend using Intercept Shield holders and boxes.
You might check around and see if it would be worth you buying and reselling the toned ones. I personally have never seen the "album toned" coins go for less than the tight whities, which could well be dipped anyway. Usually there is a nice premium for the toning. But as said, taste varies. Jim
On the flip side, would you recommend certain albums/folders for particularly attractive "corrosion"? I love a nice patina...for my less prized coins I use H.E. Harris and Whitman folders. I think the Whitmans seem to tone coins faster. It's hard to judge sometimes. I can understand the desire to keep a coin jem white, particularly a frosty american eagle proof dollar. In that particular set it seems that toned coins are more rare, the ones I've seen are probably lower grade MS that have been artificially "doctored." While interesting to look at, I don't find the neon glow look particularly attractive. I like airtite coin holders, they are alot cheaper than tpg encapsulation and offer a fair amount of protection. http://www.coinsupplystore.com/site/1648271/page/785916#Air I wish airtite had "albums" for complete series collections but I might eventually add their storage boxes to my collection. I have serious space limitations to my collection as it is all stored in a fire safe. There is something very appealing about attractive presentation, I think an airtite holder on a velvet card just sets the coin off right for viewing. NGC holders look okay I guess but I'd say the new ones are less so, and other tpg slabs look like you just bought your coin off the rack at Walmart, imo. Maybe someday I'll build a shallow drawer cabinet like collectors used to employ. Tool boxes do a fair job with the shallow drawer too. I don't have any experience with the Dansco so I'm interested what Dansco owners feel are the pros/cons to this method of storage. There is great satisfaction (so I hear) from a complete album...probably why they sell those crummy replica coins on ebay for the rest of us. I think I'd rather look at an empty hole. Uh, just my 2 cents worth, sorry if I rambled...
I consider ASE as bullion, and have bought "rolls" at various times in the treasury department white plastic tube with the green top to put away, and toning occurs in the top 2 or 3 coins faster than any album I have seen. I don't know what there is about the green top, but it does produce some neon colors. Jim
Hey thanks Jim that's cool to know, I would have figured those plastic tubes would keep the ASEs pretty frosty. Must have some odd chemical in the lid...do you have any pics you could post???
