Coin Collection - How Should I Store My Coins

If you're into coin collecting and coin trading then you'll learn from experienced numismatists that condition of the coin is very important. Buyers don't accept the coins which are damaged due to PVC damage, cleaning damage etc and in turn this affects sales price of your coins. In order to keep your coins from getting damaged you need to store them very carefully. Usually you don't need to work much on coin handling and storage if you've new coins but if the coins are old and valuable then by all means you need to take care of it. If you're into coin selling then make sure you read this hub to learn some tips on storing and handling coins.

Some of the tips for handling coins -

• Always handle coins with clean hands. Make sure you've no chemicals, powder or oil stuck on your hands.
• Use the edges of coin to handle it or place it.
• Place the coins on cloth or paper to avoid scratches on the table or on metal surface.
• Keep your coins in controlled environment to avoid damage through moisture and oxides in air.
• If unsure about anything related to coin, ask coin dealers.

Coin Containers

Containers come in plenty of varieties in the market - glass container, plastic containers, container with sorting and counting feature. Coin counting softwares do exist but it's always better to invest in jar that counts coins. More you stretch the budget the better container you likely to get. Depending on volume of your collection and needs for the hobby you can choose the right container for yourself. These containers not only protect coins from damage but can also helps you to sort coins as well.

There are two type of coin albums in the market - cardboard and plastic coin album. Cardboard albums are not safe for storing valuable and old coins. You can use them to place fairly new or in-circulation coins. Plastic coin albums on the other hand are much safe and can be used to store all types of coins. But care needs to be taken while handling those albums because some old coins are likely to get scratches regardless of which type of album you use to keep them into.

Flips are a bit expensive than plastic bags but it allows two-side pocket and ability to view the coin without removing the flip. Plastic bags are cheaper way to keep the coins, but they're not suitable for valuable and old coins. Many plastic bags are likely to damage the coin rather than keeping it safe due to their structure. So make sure you don't use them for valuable coins.

Paper envelopes are good for sorting but not much safe in terms of storage. You can use the envelopers for the labeling and sorting but in long term storage plan, they're not worth to consider. There are two types of paper envelopes in the market - office supply envelope and acid-free envelope. They're cheap and you can use them for storing new or in-circulation coins from the mint.

If you're collecting ancient and out-of circulation coins then make sure you put more focus on security. If you're beginner coin collector then there is no need to worry about your initial collection but as you move on to older coins collecting you need to think about storage, safety of the coins. The storage options mentioned above are enough if you're beginner coin collector or have fairly small coin collection, but for experienced coin collector it's better to choose more safe and reliable storage options.