How do you store your ancients?

I'd recommend you keep all of your tags for future owners. I keep my old flips and tags in blue PCGS slab boxes, which are larger than regular flip boxes and accommodate just about any size flip/tag you'll get.

 

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I keep all tags with info/dealer's names organised in separate coin boxes. Those with no info, or anything that would tie them to a particular coin are the ones thrown at random into the cigar box.

 

I store my coins in Abafil trays, but I maintain collection records in a custom-designed Access database. With the click of a button from my database program, I print abbreviated tray tags (on acid free paper) and full-description 2x2 flip tags, both including full provenance info. The tray tag goes underneath the coin, while the flip tag goes in an empty 2x2 flip with all dealer and collector tags relating to the coin. The flips are stored in "coin number" order in cardboard coin boxes. Both my tray tags and my flip tags have a "coin number" on them which matches the number assigned to the coin in my database. When I sell a coin, it goes in its 2x2 flip with all the previous tags. However, my tray tags also contain full provenance info. My goal is that my coins will never be separated from their provenance during my lifetime, and, hopefully, the lifetime of the next custodian who gets the benefit of my tags. We owe it to the future of our hobby to maintain good provenance records and to link those records to the coins.

 

Well said @Carausius. I keep all of my old dealer tags. However, I also keep all bills of sale or invoices. I like having a record of what I paid for the coin and where it was before I received it. I have never sold a coin, but if I did all of the information would go with it. I also think it is important to maintain this information to make it easier on the next owner when I am gone.

 

I must admit that the "Made in China" label on your box of envelopes gives me pause for concern! How confident can you be that they are truly archival?

 

Yep, what he said. Same here except I use FileMaker Pro.

 

Well, Guardhouse is a trusted leading name in archival coin storage. Collectors have been using these envelopes for years. If I've been swindled, so have millions of others. I think someone would've ratted them out by now. And in the utterly remote chance they are made from regular paper, so what? Ancient coins used to be stored in regular paper envelopes for years and all it did was tone them up. Truly it's not a concern.

"Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid ..." - mid 20th century poet.

 

A favourite of mine: "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in"

 

I have manufactured millions of dollars of archival product overseas, as well as in China. With proper specs, raw materials, inspections, certfications, and quality controls, there are no problems. I have manufactured them domestically also. The Smithsonian and many other museums had used our product. We did not make archival coin envelopes, so I cannot comment on them. I DO know that due to other nations' sourcing laws, that product can legally be marked made in their country, when in fact they would be made in China. Additionally, I am no longer in the business. However, my past experience was that China was entirely capable of making some of the best archival product on the market.

 

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I know. I was just looking at "what's goin' down"!

 

"I think it's so groovy now
That people are finally getting together" - another mid 20th century poet.

 

Before I take my latest group of coins to the safe deposit box later today, I snapped a quick picture to better illustrate how my coins are stored.



The coins are organised by ruler, then RIC or RPC number in red coin boxes like the one pictured at the top. Basic attribution info is written on the envelopes.

 

Sorry to revive this old thread but I am looking for a good way to store my ancient collection and was reading the comments in this thread. I am curious if like in @IdesOfMarch01 photo, will the coins tone if they are in saflips in an abafil tray like that? I like the look of that design and don't need a ton of space as I tend to buy fewer coins but of a little higher quality, relatively speaking.

 

My guess is they will, since the saflips are far from airtight.

I had an issue with coins starting to tone much faster than I would like in an abafil as well (some had noticeable new toning within a few months). I think I've mostly solved it by buying a few quadrum intercept capsules and cutting the inserts from those to fit into the tray next to the coins. It's been a while and no new toning since (as far as I can tell), and the smell of the wood is considerably reduced whenever I open the case now. It also has the unintended benefit of keeping the coins in place so they don't slide around when I pick up the case, which keeps me from worrying about scratching them over time.


This might not be an option though if you plan to store them in saflips, though I imagine you could place the insert underneath the coin and flip, even the auction tag, and it would work almost as well.

 

Just seen this thread. I store much of my collection in a traditional mahogany cabinet although I replaced the woollen felts with acrylic ones. Higher value coins are stored elsewhere. I originally put my coins in 2x2s but that didn't work for me because I like to handle the coins too much. It has 30 trays of different recess sizes with space for 1,300+ coins. I am a long, long way from filling it!

 

Thanks for the reply, I'm glad to know that they will tone quickly even in saflip 2x2s in an abafil diplomat case. I would have thought it would take a long time for that. Maybe a good way would be in airtight capsules in the abafil case.

 

A safe is the safest place to be safe, safety first... Be safe!

 

I'm not sure that's the case. I keep a handful of coins in my abafil trays in capsules and those haven't noticeably toned at all in my trays. The coins laid directly on the trays, in many cases right beside them, have almost all toned noticeably in the years I've had them. It's possible they're just toning slowly in the capsules, but I check them often and haven't noticed anything

 

Thats what I'm saying, coins in capsules in an abafil tray probably won't tone. It would be a good way to display them and keep them from toning without putting them in a semi-permanent plastic coffin.

 

Ah ok, I thought you were wanting them to tone (which is one of the goals with mine). Capsules are definitely good if you don't want much toning happening.