PO Box 1993, Bloomington, IL 61702-1993
309 662-0159

I know of no collector that wants to destroy the value or beauty of his or her collection. That would be non-productive to the word collector. It is the responsibility of the collector to pass his collection along to the next generation of collectors in the same condition that they were collected. This is what keeps the beauty and history of coins alive. Being able to enjoy a coin 100, 200 or even 1,000 years after its production.

Yet some collectors will not spend twenty or thirty dollars to buy a book to help them learn about collecting and proper ways to store their coins. Some will not even pay thirty dollars for a book before they buy a $1,000 coin. These same collectors are destroying their collection and the future of collecting without even knowing the harm they cause their collection.

We have coins brought to us at coin show with the staples close to the coins. In some cases even closer to the coin than shown below. We also receive coins in the mail that have staples this close to the coin.

Now lets stop and think about this for a minute. The Post Office has never been charged with being too careful with the packages it handles. The coins can move back and forth across the front of each other. What do you think the staples from the back of one of these flips will do to the front of the coin behind it? Nothing is more disappointing than to find that you have a coin with a value of $300 or $400 dollars, but the coin was destroyed because of a scratch across the front caused while in shipment.

Would you store your coins in gasoline or in a can of oil? Products with oil used in their production will cause PVC to form on a coin. This is a green film on the coin. After the formation of this PVC, it is almost impossible to remove it without destroying the coin. By placing the staple this close to the coin, you can also destroy your coins over time. Any moisture that gets to the staples will cause oxidation of the staples. By placing the staples this close to the coins, the oxidation will spread to the coins. BYE, BYE coins.

Collectors have told us that they place staples close to keep moisture away from their coins. We must inform them of a few facts about moisture. Moisture is in the air, it is all around us. If you examine a coin on a day that the humidity is high, the moisture inside their house is higher than normal. Even if they have a dehumidifier. As they place their coins in flips, the same moisture is being placed inside the flip with the coin.

Storing too many flips in a row box is deadly. The removing and replacing of these coins will cause the back of the staples to scratch the front of the coin behind it. This also happens when coins are mailed in flips and the staples are sticking out the back of the flip. Would you buy a coin with a big scratch across the front of the design element?

Sometimes, the collector can do more damage trying to protect their coins than the elements. Little do they know that over time, they are destroying their coins value! And are also destroying the coin for future generations.

Notice how the staples stick out on the back of this flip. These staples have sharp edges that can scratch the front of the coin behind it. This may only happen once, but that is all it takes, just once and rip goes the front of the coin behind it.

A collector might as well take a knife and scratch the front of the coin. It does not matter to the collector looking at the coin if it is a small scratch or one the full length of the coin. It is still a scratch. And they have no interest in added the coin to their collection, unless it is sold as a filler.

Now let's examine the proper way to store coins in a cardboard flip. Notice the distance between the coin and the staple on the example show below.

Notice the distance between the staple and the coin. In this example, if the staple starts to oxides, you will notice the oxidation before it affects the coin. Now you have time to remove the coin from this flip and place it in a new flip.

But this does not help the staple sticking out of the back of the flip. It can still scratch the front of the coin behind it. This is where the collector can get a little creative.

Take a pair of pliers and squeeze the staple. This pushes the top and bottom of the staple into the cardboard. Thus removing any sharp edges from the staple. This simple little action takes very little time and can save a lot of grief in the future.

Even after the staple has been squeezed with the pliers, we recommend placing a piece of cardboard on the top and bottom of each flip being shipped. This will help protect coins in shipment. It may cost additional postage, but the rewards are returned may times over.

It is also a good idea to place some silica gel in the box or safe that you are storing the coins. Silica gel absorbs moisture. They are blue crystals that turn pink as they absorb moisture. When they turn pink, just place the crystals in the oven for three hours at 300 degrees. They dry out and turn blue again. Ready to do more work for you and your collection.

You can purchase silica gel from a supply dealer or you can find it yourself. It is used when shipping cameras, computers and computer parts. Most stores just throw it away. Stop and ask if you can have the little packets they throw away. Open them and place them in a sock. (Please remove them from the sock before placing the crystals in the oven.)

Remember to take proper care of your coins. Also, remember that your coins are to be enjoyed. Check your coins often and you will be rewarded in the future. The protection of your collection is your responsibility to future collectors.

There are other ways to store coins, but this is the system used by most collectors.