On how to store your coins, there are several factors to consider before designing how and where you are going to store your coin collection. 

 What do I put my Coins In?

 There are several types of coin holders, all have advantages and disadvantages and we will discuss this section first. 

1)      Mylar 2 x 2 Holders (Sometimes called cardboards)

Advantages:

a)      Cheap, you can purchase 100 of these for about $4.00 or so making them 4 or 5 cents each

b)      The Mylar doesn’t contain any chemicals that will harm you coins

c)      You can view both sides of the coin.

d)      You can write on the package detailing your coin.

Disadvantages:

a)      They are not air tight, so moisture and air can get to the coin

b)      Fragile, sometimes when you  package a coin the Mylar will tear and you will waste some.

2)      Air-Tite Holders

Advantages:

a)      They are virtually air tight, and should offer your coin top of the line protection

b)      Hard Plastic is very durable.

c)      Clear plastic you can see both sides of the coin clearly.

Disadvantages:

a)      Expensive, they will cost you about .75 cents to a dollar each.

b)      Since they are Hard Plastic they will scratch more easily

c)      You can’t easily write on this holder.

d)      It increases the thickness of the coins and takes more room to store then Mylar 2 x 2 holders.

3)      Coin Tubes

Advantages:

a)      Cheap, you can purchase coin tubes for about .50 cents each, so you can store a single coin for about 1 to 2 cents each.

b)      The ridged plastic is very durable and will last a long time

c)      They don’t contain any chemicals that will be harmful to your coins

d)      Allows you to store large amounts of coins in limited space

Disadvantages:

a)      The holders are not air tight

b)      You can’t view your coin unless you remove that coin from the tube

c)      Since the coins are against each other, if you move the coin they will tend to rub against each other causing marks. 

4)      Whitman / Harris Coin Folders

Advantages:

a)      Cheap, you can hold 40 to 80 coins for about $4.00 which it makes per coin storage about 5 to 10 cents each.

b)      The coin slot is marked so you don’t have to put the date and mint mark information in the folder.

c)      It allows you to store your coins in a limited amount of space.

d)      Makes your coin collection portable since you can take your folder with you very easily.

Disadvantages:

a)      You can only see 1 side of your coin; the other side is pressed against the other side of the folder.

b)      These books contain Sulfur, one of the things needed for coins to tone.

c)      Changing coins is difficult, and you may damage the album while trying to remove or replace a coin.

5)      Dansco Coin Albums

Advantages:

a)      This albums can hold a large amount of coins 100 + which even with a cost of $30 to $40 dollars makes the storage per coin about 30 to 40 cents each.

b)      The coin slot is marked so you don’t have to put the date and mint mark information in the folder.

c)      The albums use a clear slide that allows you to drop the coin in and push the slide back over the coin.

d)      Since they use slides, you can see both sides of the coin.

e)      It allows you to store your coins in a limited amount of space.

f)        Makes your coin collection portable since you can take your folder with you very easily.

Disadvantages:

a)      Cost is not as expensive as some forms of storage but it is not the cheapest either.

b)      These books contain Sulfur, one of the things needed for coins to tone. 

6)      Soft Vinyl Pages & Flips

a)      Note – these products contain a chemical called PVC, this chemical will break down over time and can damage your coins.  These Flips are not designed for long term storage.  The sheets are designed to be put into a notebook and have the coins packaged into Mylar 2x2 holders and placed into the sheets. 

Where Do I store my Coin Collection? 

Where you should store your collection depends on the type of climate you have along with the value of your coin collection. 

1)      Store your coins in a Climate controlled structure that keeps control of the temperature, the basic rule is if you could tolerate the temperature and humidity, then so can your coins.

a)      If you live where the humidity is very high, you might considering a “Silica Gel Dehumidifier Bag” which helps pull in moisture and prevents it from being drawn towards your coins. 

2)      Depending on the value of your collection, if you have a limited amount of coins, you may consider putting your coins in a bedroom closet on a upper shelf, if you have a sizable amount you may look into renting a Safety Deposit Box or look at purchasing a Gun Safe (these shelves can be easily modified) and can accommodate large amounts of coins.