Ideas for long term storage?

[cam9457]

I have couple hundred assorted coins I am going to organize and will probably just put away for now in 2x2's. Is there anything I should do before sealing them up to slow down decay or rust or anything? Any tips would be great, Thanks in advance

 

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[DesertTumbleweed402]

If nobody else will respond, then I will. What I would do is seal them up when you are in a dry environment (i.e. not humid), make sure there is NO cardboard dust on the 2x2's and as an extra precaution, whatever you put them in, throw in a pack or two of silica gel. You can find them in new suitcases and shoe boxes. That will help keep them dry. If they get wet, throw 'em in the microwave for ten seconds or so and they'll be like new again.

 

[cam9457]

Thanks Tumbleweed. my main concern is a 1943 steel major error penny I have. As far as I know it's the only one in existance. I'm not sure what i'm going to do with it just yet but I want to make sure no further harm comes it's way in the mean time. Thanks for the advice

 

[djui5]

You need to seal them in those hard plastic airtight holders. 2x2's leak way too much air and will allow corrosive materials into the packaging.

Also, there isn't a whole lot you can do to prevent corosion on coins that have been handled before. Might try e-mailing one of the grading companies to check, but I don't think there is a safe way to decontanimate them without damaging the coins (IE cleaning).

On that note, make sure you handle everything with white gloves and sanitize your hands before putting the gloves on. Whatever you do, don't sneeze

 

[secondcup]

Thanks Tumbleweed. my main concern is a 1943 steel major error penny I have. As far as I know it's the only one in existance. I'm not sure what i'm going to do with it just yet but I want to make sure no further harm comes it's way in the mean time. Thanks for the advice

If you have something that you think is rare and valuable, I'd submit it for grading by on of the major grading companies. That way, if it's the real deal, they'll encase it for you!

 

[ThomasMaloney]

What else you can do, is get ziplock bags to individually keep each coin. Besides controlling humidity, you may also want to find some form of neutral powder to negate any chemical contamination while in storage. In addition, you can get cheap "bins" that are 2x2 or 3x3 inches to keep similar coins in the same container and also to minimize abrasion against other surfaces. You may consider bank safety deposit boxes on top of this if they are of high value. Professional Self Storage Services who will definitely be able to provide you some great advice too.

 

[Joe777Cool]

Tom-

This post is 6 years old

 

[huntsman53]

As has already been somewhat stated, if any of the coins have been handled with bare hands, they are going to be effected by the salt and body oil residue that gets transferred on to them (i.e. copper coins will eventually tone somewhat making fingerprints more and more visible with time, Zinc coated Steel Cents will eventually develop rust from the salt making it through the Zinc to the Steel or darker areas will develop in the Zinc due to chemical reaction). There are probably professional treatments for these but you will have to check with some of the top grading companies or coin professionals to if anything is available. In my opinion, you can do the best you can to mitigate any damage with what you have. You can neutralize most if not all of the damage from the salts and body oils by soaking the coins (not washing or rubbing as in cleaning) in a mild dishwashing liquid and water mixture, rinse in warm then cold water and pat dry between the soft folds of a towel. You then transfer the coins into a container containing alcohol, let soak for a minute or two, then remove, pat dry between the soft folds of a towel, then let them air dry for awhile. This should neutralize and/or remove most if not all of the harmful salts and body oils from the coins and they will be ready for 2x2'ing. Note: Even though you have removed the harmful salts and body oils from the coins to prevent any further damage, some damage has already been done and will show up on them eventually as fingerprints or smudges. Before you 2x2 the Steel Cents, it would be best to coat them with a light weight and clear oil such as Rem Oil or Watch Oil, pat them dry then 2x2 them. The oil should protect them somewhat from future damage due to the environment, hopefully prohibit rust from developing due to the salts and body oils that may have been on them previously from handling. Any yellowing from the oil should be fairly minimal but can happen over a long period of time. I would then find sealable glass containers (i.e. has a glass storage medium (round, square or rectangle) and a glass lid with a rubber type seal) and seal the coins up in them with a desiccant pack inside. I do not recommend using Zip Loc bags or plastic storage containers as the chemicals they are made of eventually breakdown and the chemical gases given off when they do so, can effect not on the 2x2 but also the coins since the 2x2's are not air tight.

Good luck! Also, I am an Error Coin Connoisseur and would love to see pics of the Steel Cent Error.


Frank