How do you store your ancients?

I understand that most ancients have been around a while but thought that I'd get some small plastic capsules to store them. I have a limited collection so far but soon realised that there seem to be no standard width.

It seems a shame to put the in a 2x2 flip - you just leave them in a tray? How do you document them? Grateful for your thoughts.

 

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I use 2x2 SAFLIPs for all of mine and the second pocket generally provides plenty of space for any old tags and documentation. I then keep all these in a 2-row 2x2 box which can hold around 100 or so.

 

Most of mine are in the PVC free 2x2 plastic flips inside a red cardboard box. All of my coins are assigned a catalog number that cross references my database. I don't try to arrange them any other way than the catalog number. Part of me would rather use Tupperware but I haven't found one that would keep my coins together instead of becoming a pile.

 

Just in a notebook binder and in 2x2 flips. They're in "ancient date" order from B.C. to queen victoria.

 

There's a coin cabinet maker here in England and I'm so tempted to buy one of his cabinets. I just think it would be great to have drawers full of coins at the ready in a classy case. Then I worry about thieves and spending coin money on "not coins."

 

Here's a quick cell phone picture of my "coin box". That's actually my entire collection(at least of ancients/medievals). In the box are all my coins in 2x2 SAFLIPs. The coins are arranged into their respective "families" using little flags(Greek, Roman Imperial, Roman Republic, Byzantine, Judaean, etc) and then the Roman Republican coins are arranged by Crawford number, the others simply arranged chronologically. The paper envelopes you see are old collection envelopes, mostly from the RBW collection but also a few others, and all provenance info that will fit is kept in the second pocket of the flip.

One other thing you see is something that is in my opinion essential if you collect bronzes: dessicant packets. Really they may not even be needed as I live in Colorado but I am paranoid about bronze disease so I do my best to keep the humidity as low as possible.

 

I tried a few methods and have found a great one that works well for me. I have had problems with Saflips breaking, or the folded saflip being awkward to handle / store in boxes.

I discovered Littleton's ancients albums that hold my 2x2 Saflips in an open position. So, the top of my open flip holds my 2x2 card and provenances. Bottom side holds the coin. The albums hold 6 flips to a page (each in an open 2x4 format). what is great is that i can see the coin and card with obverse info, turn the page and see the coin and card with reverse info. The albums have a cardboard cover, and I have dessicant pages in front and back. I have several albums by collecting focus. The album stores like a book, but are completely enclosed in the album cover. The albums balance compact storage space and viewability for me. Using Saflips are better for the long term care of the coin, as well as being rigid enough that you can easily slide them into the page pouches.

Storage is in safes or bank, dependent on accessability needs.

My wife is developing an Access database with me, so that I can picture, categorize, pull up data, sort, develop location numbers, etc. (LOL, @Pishpash , she is working on it as I post!). I want to add historical pics, articles, etc. into the database as I collect from an historical perspective.

 

I prefer open trays with little acid free tags for ID but when the bulk exceeded my bank vault holdings I moved 'lesser' coins into paper envelopes in paper boxes. I handle every coin once a year to check for problems but having photos of every coin makes the envelopes less a problem than I thought it might.

 

I'd like to use a tray system but high ambient humidity makes that impractical. I'd have to have an even larger sealable box in which to store the cabinet, along with rechargeable desiccant.

While I don't care for the brittleness of Saflips, that is what I'm using. I bought four times more than I need because after just a few openings they split and crack. I play with my coins frequently so I go through a lot of flips.

I printed some business cards with my vanity logo. They do require a little trimming (along the top) and then I fold them in half. It makes for a nice stiff insert for those pesky Saflips. Have you ever tried to remove a thin insert from those Saflips? Almost impossible. Plus, ink jet ink tends to stick to the flip, making it even more difficult. With the folded-in-half business cards it also creates a nice place to stash any old inserts or small related ephemera.

At present I have the coins grouped by general type. Within the boxes the coins are more or less in order. For Roman Republic and Imperial that is easy. For Greek and Roman Provincial I roughly approximate Eckhel's order of listing.

Some coins are too large for 2x2s and since Wizard Coin Supply doesn't sell these colored half-length boxes in the 2.5x2.5 size, I have those oversized coins in small plastic containers. Everything is stored in a fire and waterproof safe along with one Eva-Dry E-333 Renewable Mini Dehumidifier.

 

I use Abafil velvet trays and Mignon cases for the better coins. I feel it's the best way to displaying them

Q

 

I have trays and love them. I drop them. Oops.

 

As always, thank you for all your replies. Lots of solutions!

SAFlips appeal but don't seem to be available here. Postage from the US costs about $20 and 50 flips $10. That and factoring brittleness in, they are a non starter.

 

Not sure what company you're looking at but go to vcoins and search for the seller Kointainer. They make the them and sell them cheaper than anywhere else. Send the seller a message and ask about international shipping...or send me a PM and we can sort it out because I have a U.S. address here.

 

Forvm has flips that are much more durable then Saflips. Saflips I found scuff easily and as mentioned, cracked in half after a few uses. Forvms flips are stiffer and dont scuff as bad.

 

Hmm, I don't see any listed in their store right now. I wonder what brand they are?

 

Its in the supply section, but it looks like they're out, for once.

It's their own. Some supplier, never mentioned the name and they arrive in tear away sheets/wrapped in thin plastic, scuff free though. No manufacturing logos or anything.

 

I keep my sweet lil' babies in 13 x 3-ring binders (approximately 30 coins in each of the 13 binders) ...

Each coin is tucked-into an appropriately sized PVC-free sleeve (x-amount of photos and/or coin info and/or CT-site conversation info can also be printed, hole-punched and added to the binders => the possibilities are fricken endless!)



Oh, and then I store the albums in a big gun safe (hey, it works for this guy!!)






Man, I can't imagine storing and showing my coins with only a mere 2x2 flip of info (it blows my mind that the rest of you dudes aren't on-board with this amazingly versatile method) ... oh well, I still think that I'm awesome

 

You also might want to check out this older Cointalk thread:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-organization-and-attribution-at-work.250251/

 

UK seller, I used to use these before trays, they are supposed to be coin safe.

http://www.safealbums.co.uk/Zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2727

 

Abafil trays for me. But they are expensive. Good thing I bought a lot of them 20 years ago when they were cheaper. Once there I also use a big gun safe, plenty of dessicant as well.