Is it safe to store coins in a plastic bag (the zip-lock, hefty sandwich and freezer type of bags)? I was concerned about PVC. I would like to keep my sorting of the wheat cents somewhat organized, yet still keep the original canvas bags in tact. Right now, one of my bags is almost sorted by decades. They are in dish bowls. Can I put the decade groups into plastic sandwich bags before tossing back into the canvas without a lot of concern of making things worse? I still have 3 more canvas bags to sort (15,000 cents). I am looking forward to it. Great fun when insomina hits in the middle of a blizzard.
The zip lock, etc. type of containers intended for food storage contain no PVC or related compounds, and are safe for coin storage. By safe, I mean that the plastic will not contribute to any damage. However,many zippered type of bags are not completely sealed against humidity or gases, so standard environmental conditions would also apply. Jim
If they are uncirculated I might look for something a little better, but a big batch of wheaties would take some real humidity problems to develop verdigris. If they are already brown I usually don't worry as much about toning problems and containers, as long as they aren't being stored in water or acid. And yes, blizzards, canvas bags, a wood fire, and a glass of scotch. That sounds pretty fantastic right about now...
