Long-Term mass storage

[Finn235]

It's been nearly three years since I started collecting numismatic oddities from my work, and I am having difficulties establishing a system for storing the coins efficiently. I am aware that the most organized way of doing this is to cave in and purchase some albums, but I am rapidly approaching the 500 mark for my 1938-1963 nickel collection (hoard). Currently, I am using a number of old craft boxes that I found lying around my house: each year gets its own compartment. However, I am a little concerned about the plausibility of long-term storage, especially in terms of possible corrosion where the metal is touching the plastic. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to compactly store them while still keeping them organized with the possibility of future additions?

[Art]

Have you investigated coin tubes which then go into boxes. They're not very expensive and hold a lot of coins very neatly.

[Steve D'Ippolito]

It's been nearly three years since I started collecting numismatic oddities from my work, and I am having difficulties establishing a system for storing the coins efficiently. I am aware that the most organized way of doing this is to cave in and purchase some albums, but I am rapidly approaching the 500 mark for my 1938-1963 nickel collection (hoard).

 

I am doing something similar. Many years ago I got for free one of those old blue Whitman albums for nickels, 1938-1961, and I've been trying to fill it from circulation. I don't have a job as a cashier or anything like that, so I've met with limited success--and almost anything that does turn up turns out to be a duplicate of the <50% of the album that is populated, so I end up either upgrading and spending what was in the album, or just putting the new find back into my pocket. Nonetheless, the nickel is the only coin today where it'd even be worth trying to fill an album from that long ago. (I do check my change and occasionally--like less than once a year--find a wheatie or even a silver dime, but I am not trying to fill an album of either.)

[just carl]

There are numerous methods of storing any coins. As already noted those plastic tubes made for and are equal to a bank roll are one of the best for large quantities. They are made for all denominations of coins. And if you wanted to spend a little more you could get many of them and lable each with dates and mint marks. So roll 1 could be 1938 to 1940, 1941 to 1942 or something like that.

Anther method would be to put each coin in a separate 2x2 type of flip. Those usually cost about 2 to 4 cents each though so you would really be investing a lot of money with those. Many of the Nickels you have would be only worth 10 cents and in a 2x2 that cost 3 cents or more.

Attempting to fill an Album, Whitman, Dansco, Littleton or the many others available would really make it for a little fun and you would be able to see exactly what you have front and back of each coin.

Be real carefull of miscellaneous other types of containers for coins. Some plastic ones may contain or be made of PVC. Others may be made of items that leak small amounts of gasses that will either corrode, stain, tarnish, tone you coins. Many cardboard or wooden containers are such items that may or may not effect any metals.

Many people have stored coins in metal cans only to find someday all are corroded. The reason for that is a thing called an electrical reaction of dissimilar metals. When two different metals touch each other a really small electrical charge can be created. You may not be able to detect that but a coin over a long period could well corrode due to this.