I've got a newbie question.... Let me explain first that I am starting to collect modern US coins from circulation (as of now ) so I bought cardboard 2 X 2's to keep in 3-hole binder pages. I figured that would be good enough for circulated coins. I also bought "safety flips" for coins that may be worth a little more in the future (hopefully) The "safety flips" are all plastic. (PVC free) BUT they come with cardboard inserts. The flips look like they are able to fold over so I could fit them in my binder pages. Here's the newbie question(s).... Since I usually can figure things out on my own, I feel stupid for asking but, HOW do these D**n things work????? If I put the cardboard in I won't be able to see both sides, like a 2 X 2!!!! If I get two of the same coin so I can show both sides, they won't fit in the binder pages.......Also would I staple them as well???? AAGGHHHHHH! Could someone please help reletively intelligent man who happens to feel very stupid at the moment. Thanks in advance.
You can put the cardboard in and slide it into the vinyl page but then you won't be able to see the reverse un- less you take it out. It's not really recommended since it's hard on flips but you could just insert the half with the insert into the page and leave the coin out. Do you need the insert? If you definitely do can you cut the center out so you can still see the coin.
What I'm doing (at least for now) for my type set is I put the coins in 2x2s and put them in the slots of the binder page. Then, I got a clear plastic binder page that has a full sized pocket to hold a 8.5"x11" sheet of paper. Using excel, I printed the denomination, description, composition and year range for each coin in the corresponding position on the facing page. This way you have a ready reference for each coin and you can still see both sides.
I would just put the coin in one side, and fold over the second half. You can find 1/2" x 2" or a little less labels at store, write the description on the bottom of a label ,turn it around 180 degrees, write the description again, in what was the top area of the label. Then stick it to the OUTSIDE of the flip at the top straddling the fold so when you fold it over, the description is read correctly whether you are looking at the obv. or the rev. When the label is only on the front, I keep flipping the pages to read the label on the obv, and then look at the back and locate the coin. The stuck label on the outside of the will never contact the coin. The flip should be folded so as to lock the top so the coin can't slide out. Tend to be OK for even Dollar size coins. Hope this might help. Jim
Well you do kind of have to use the insert, or else you have a coin in a flip with no identification. If you really want to put them in the vinyl pages and still be able to see both sides of the coin you could put the pocket with the coin in the page and leave the pocket with the card on the outside. Write the information on the card so that it is visible when the flip is folded down and the card covers the coin. Now the card tells you what is there and to see one side you lift the card. To see the other you turn the page over. Frankly most people don't store coins in flips in vinyl pages for just that reason, you can't see both sides. But frankly if you are going to store them in the pages the 2X2's will work just fine for even more valuable coins. Flips work better for storing coins in the 2X2 boxes because you have to take them out to see them anyway, and with the flips you don't have to worry about the staples from one coin scratching the next one as they are pulled in and out of the box. I like Desertgems solution too.
Lets start at the beginning. If you go to any coin show you would notice that possibly 90% of the dealers use 1-1/2"x1-1/2" size cardboard flips. If you place those in a plastic page made to hold 20 flips, there will be about 1/2" left where you could paste a sticky type with the info on for each coin. This leaves both sides visable. Also, those smaller ones are much cheaper to purchase. Of course those are only good for smaller denominations, not halves or larger dollars. If you use the cardboard 2x2's there is always room to place all the info you want on the 2x2's. If you use the clear plastic flips, just make yourself a template of paper with a hole in it the size of the coins you want to use. Place the paper template next to the plastic flip, not inside it, and write what ever you want on that. You will still be able to see both sides of the coins. Now if your really good at small writtings you could just print all the info write on the coins with a tool engraving machine. Then everything of interest will be right there and both sides visable.
Further suggestions are as follows: 1. Use two of those plastic pages per whatever. Use them so that when the pages are opened, the one on the left has the little paper with the info and the sheet on the right has the coin in the plastic flip. 2. Send all your coins to me so there will no longer be any problems. 3. If you use the plastic flips, cut one side off, insert the paper with the info, place next to the coin in the slot on the left of right. 4. Place your coins in the plastic flips, leave any paper or cardboard out. Place a small number on the plastic of the page on the upper right. Such as 1-1 or 2-5. This is page 1, slot 1 or page 2, slot 5. Or any system you like. Then one master page in the front, made with Excel or Word, listing the system with discriptions, prices, purchase dates or anything else you want. 5. Go out and buy an album where you can see both sides of the coins. 6. Stop collecting coins so there will be more for me. 7. If you do use staples to seal the flips, use a pair of pliers to flatten the things so they don't scratch other coins, other flips, etc. 8. Use plastic flips with the paper for info as is. Just put the portion with the coin in the slot of a platic page for 2x2's. Leave the other portion hanging out. Place the coins in so they are facing the rear of the slots and then just turn the pages so the front is facing you. The other side of the flip hanging out is on the rear. If you want to see the rear, you just lift the flip. Most people never look at the rear of a coin anyway. Ever notice that almost all error coins are the obverse. That is because most people just never look at the rear of a coin.
Oh heck, just buy two of each coin type and have one with the obverse visible and one with the reverse visible--simple, no?
CW: You are on LI, stop by & we can figure it out! Or, I'll be at the RT 110 (Melville) show on Sunday. have fun, but, you can't have your cake & eat it too.
Stop that! I can't laugh out loud while I'm at work Seriously, if you stick around this forum long enough, all your most closely held beliefs about coin collecting will be shattered at some point. I just gave up. I bought 20 gallons of holy water and all my coins are in that - kind of like a wishing well.
You and I must go to different shows. At the ones I attend it's the other way round, 10% of the dealers use the 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 holders.
