| Ensure the safety and protection of your | | | | from a safe material that are stable and |
| collection by knowing the products their holders | | | | non-degradable. They should also be free of |
| are made from are safe and that they allow you | | | | plasticizes and any slip agents that may leak out |
| to easily view them while prevent any movement | | | | and damage your collections. If the plastic that |
| that may cause your coins to be scratched. | | | | you store your collection in changes its properties |
| While storing your collection always keep them | | | | over time, then it will turn yellow or even become |
| away from direct sunlight and any heating or | | | | sticky or brittle and cloudy. This is not a suitable |
| cooling vents. Keeping your collection placed safely | | | | material for the protection of your coins, nor is it |
| within a safety deposit box or safe will also help | | | | a stable material. |
| reduce the risk of any moisture damage that | | | | Once considered safe for storage was cellulose |
| may occur to your collection over time. Your | | | | acetate, but has now began to be rapidly falling |
| collection should always be stored at a constant | | | | out of favor due to it has been found to be able |
| temperature year round in a controlled | | | | to degrade the coins by giving off an acetic acid. |
| environment, such as bank vaults or safety | | | | Another acidic material that should be avoided in |
| deposit boxes. These offer excellent ways to | | | | any storage units is glassine. PVC or polyvinyl |
| control the storage temperature of your valuable | | | | chloride tend to leach out of the plastic causing |
| coin collection. | | | | notes to become translucent and corrode your |
| Specialized collections or sets should always be | | | | valuable coins by producing a type of green slime. |
| stored within a coin album or its holder to help | | | | Another chemical that needs to be avoided is |
| prevent any movement during storage. These | | | | polyvinylidene chloride or saran tm, because can |
| albums allow the avid collector to view both the | | | | release hydrochloric acid. The quality of paper in |
| obverse and the reverse of each coin in their | | | | envelopes are often in doubt and can cause |
| collection while offering them the most maximum | | | | abrasion to your coins. The blue type of |
| protection from any elements of contaminants. | | | | cardboard folders that are used to store coins by |
| Albums are specially designed to be placed upon a | | | | type have holes in the cardboard which they are |
| shelf or inside of a drawer with their binding facing | | | | pressed, but the majority of this has been made |
| outward and the edges of the album resting on | | | | of acidic cardboard and requires considerable force |
| the shelf or drawer itself. It is never wise to | | | | and handling to insert and removal of your coins. |
| store your albums while they are lying flat on a | | | | Other storage units you need to be cautious of |
| shelf with multiple albums stacked on top of them. | | | | are coin tubes, which allow coins to rub against |
| This action will only decrease the strength and | | | | one another. Traditional wooden coin cabinets are |
| durability of your album by increasing pressure | | | | not recommended either because wood tends to |
| placed on your coins. | | | | be acidic and the lining of these cases can also |
| While keeping your individual coins safely within | | | | cause problems due to allowing your coins to |
| rigid holders such as plastic 2x2 holders or slabs | | | | move around inside of the drawers. Instead of |
| for long term storage will prevent any excess | | | | using wooden cabinets a safe alternative would be |
| movement or possible damage to your coins. A | | | | enameled metal cabinets. |
| holder that has been damaged will allow air or | | | | The most commonly used coin holders are called |
| other contaminants to make contact with the | | | | coin flips, which are inexpensive and provide |
| surface of the coins over time. What ever coin | | | | valuable protection as long as they are made of a |
| holder you choose should not be able to scratch | | | | safe material. The only drawback is that your |
| or put abrasions on your coins. That is why it is | | | | coins tend to slide around inside of the holder, so |
| important to never remove your coins from their | | | | try to choose the closest size to your coin. Coin |
| holders to protect them from damage. The holder | | | | shells fit your coins exactly and have a foam ring |
| should hold your coins firmly and gently, while not | | | | insert that will hold your coins firmly in place. The |
| allowing the coin to roll around from inside of the | | | | most important thing to remember is to know |
| holder. | | | | what your holder is made of before placing your |
| Any storage system selected should be made | | | | valuable coins inside of a storage container. |