After years of collecting coins, I can tell most every budding coin collector this: not all coin holders are created equal. Indeed, when deciding how to store and organize your coins-one of the most important decisions you can make as a coin collector-depends not solely upon aesthetic or economical issues. In fact, as a coin collector, it is wise to also consider the issue of preserving your coins against deterioration, something that can occur when the coins are stored in holders that may display-but not protect-your coins.
So, what exactly should you be looking for in a coin holder? What kind of coin holder is right for you? What is your coin-storage budget? These questions have different answers, dependent on the kind of coin you are collecting, the duration of time you which to house your coins, and the amount of money you have to spend on holding your coins. As you begin perusing online and print coin supply catalogs, you will quickly discover that prices for holders range from cents to dozens of dollars.
Rather than simply looking at deciding on coin storage from the perspective of finances, you must also look at the relative value of the coin you are looking to store. That is to say, you must determine the importance of the coin to justify the expense of the holder you are about to purchase. Would you want to spend $35 to house a coin worth $3? Is it wise to put that $500 specimen in a 5-cent holder that may allow your prized holding to tarnish? Below is a breakdown of some common coin storage devices, as well as the pros and cons of each.
Perhaps one of the most popular forms of housing coins, cardboard coin folders have been on the market for several decades and represent the coin-storage solution of choice to countless new coin collectors and veterans alike. Ranging in price from $3 on up to around $10 for the most part, coin folders usually consist of three to four cardboard panels that are bound to form a strip. This strip folds down to the width and length dimensions of one panel and store easily on bookcases, in coin vaults, and in the little “goodies” nook of any drawer or chest. Coin folders usually allow for the open-air viewing of one side of a coin and allow for easy insertion and removal of the coins through little round ports, sized to the diameter of the coin it is intended to house. Furthermore, these folders provide for simple organization. Therefore, coin folders are normally good combinations of storage option and economy. However, there are some drawbacks with these cardboard folders. Primarily, the open-air element of these holders allows for fingers to easily leave their mark on the coins. This can lead to not only fingerprints and smudges, but it can also allow other contaminants to mar your coins as well. Furthermore, as the typical folder is made of cardboard and paper, sulfur and chemicals from the glues in the materials can begin to chemically react to the coins’ metals. Furthermore, some collectors may prefer to see both sides of their coins as opposed to the one-sided viewing allowed by cardboard coin folders. In general, if you are collecting inexpensive coins from circulation (your pocket change, for example), a coin folder is probably a good option for you. however, if you desire to house more expensive coins, you may want to explore other options.
Coin albums-the richer, more refined cousin of coin folders-are a great idea for any collector looking for a handsome way to house a collection of coins in a high-quality medium. Coin albums, like coin folders, usually store well on a bookcase. Furthermore, like coin folders, coin albums are often the storage of preference for those who are assembling a series of coins (such as all the dates and mintmarks of Lincoln cents, Jefferson nickels, or Statehood quarters, for example). However, unlike coin folders, coin albums typically have ports that allow for two-sided viewing of coins behind inert (chemically unreactive, in the case of most modern coin albums), transparent slides. This allows for protected viewing of both a coin’s obverse (“heads” side) and reverse (“tails” side). Many coin albums are bound in faux leather, while others have other forms of decorative, attractive binding and covers. At any rate, coin albums are a wonderful choice for coin collectors who want to store expensive and inexpensive coins alike, and provide a fantastic option for attractive and organized protection of one’s coins. However, this higher-level form of coin storage will come at a bit of a cost. Unlike coin folders, which can be purchased rather inexpensively, coin albums usually start in the $17-20 range and increase in price form there. However, if you are in the market for high-quality, long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing coin storage, coin albums may be for you.
“2×2’s,” and “flips,” as they are popularly called, have been the holders of choice among many coin dealers and coin collectors for years. Designed for holding individual coins and a description of the coin, 2x2s and flips are one of the least expensive ways to keep coins. 2x2s usually refer to a piece of cardboard that is four inches long and two inches wide, with two equally sized portals that are covered with a layer of clear Mylar or cellophane. When the cardboard is folded in half (to the size of two inches by two inches), it allows the two film-covered holes to match up, forming a window that allows viewing right through the holder. Before folding the holder and closing it (typically with a few staples), a coin is placed on the interior side of one of the windows. When the folder is folded in half and sealed, the result is a coin that resides in a sandwich of cardboard and Mylar, both sides of the coin viewable through the open windows. On the exterior cardboard margins of these holders, one can write descriptive information of the coin contained inside. These types of holders cost between 3 and 10 cents apiece (usually sold in packs of 25-100) and are ideal for those who are temporarily holding a coin or, perhaps selling one. These types of holders are usually not ideal for long-term storage because the cardboard may react with the coin’s metal, and the cellophane or Mylar windows can easily be torn by the staples of adjacently stored 2x2s. However, if you are in the market for generally safe, temporary storage, you may find 2x2s a good choice for you and your budget.
“Flips” refer to a typically 2″ by 4″ piece of plastic that has two square transparent pockets. Like the 2x2s, when these panels are folded in half, they form a 2″ by 2″ holder into which one can store a coin in one pocket and a small card with descriptive information in the other pocket. Like 2x2s, flips represent an inexpensive and efficient storage option that is easy on the pocketbook (usually 5 cents to 10 cents apiece, and typically sold in packs of 25-100). However, flips may not be a great solution for long-term storage, nor are all flips necessarily safe for your coins. Housing all your coins into flips may allow the coins to get away from each other (like the case with 2x2s and unlike the situation with folders and albums, which keep all your coins together in one, tidy package). Furthermore, flips are not designed to be airtight (as is the case with all options presented thus far in this article), so chemical fumes in the vicinity of your holder may interact with your coins. Chemicals in the flips themselves can wreak havoc, too. While many coin flips are made from the chemically inert Mylar, some flips often contain polyvinylchloride (PVC), which can chemically cause goo and other unsightly splotches to form on your coins, risking their value and their overall appearance.
If you decide to utilize either flips and/or 2x2s for storing your coins, be sure to consider buying one of the many special storage boxes designed to hold and file dozens of 2-inch by 2-inch size holders. They are normally inexpensive ($3-10, normally), and are ideal for any collector who seeks some sense of efficient organization for their individually housed coins. Another option available for those with coins in 2x2s or flips are notebook-sized pages that are designed to display 16-20 holders apiece. Much like the pocket pages some sports card collectors use, pocket pages designed for coin collectors are an inexpensive way and simple way to display and organize coins stored in 2x2s and flips. Pocket pages generally cost anywhere between 50 cents to $2 per page.
Coin roll tubes are a popular option for people who desire to safely and efficiently hold large quantities of coins for little money. Unlike the paper or soft plastic bank wrappers you may be familiar with, coin roll tubes are rigid plastic tubes designed to hold the standard-roll amount of coinage for each respective denomination. That is to say, coin tubes hold fifty pennies (50 cents) as would a bank wrapper hold 50 cents of pennies. coin tubes are typically made of inert plastic and contain screw or snap-down lids that will not only keep the contained coins safely inside but also provide an almost-airtight seal. Coin tubes, usually sold in packs of 5-10, often cost 25 cents to a dollar apiece and are great for short-term or long-term storage. While not a means of display, coin tubes are ideal for those who are keeping large quantities of coins, or for those who are keeping the coins in a vault or a safe-deposit box.
Another option for coin storage are what are often known as “coin capsules.” These little, round, plastic, flattish bubbles of coin protection are perfect for coins that need airtight protection. Most capsule models include two shallow plastic dishes into which a coin, often surrounded by a thin ring of foam, is placed. These two dishes are designed to snap together, encasing the coin within a protective, flat capsule that allows for two-sided viewing. Coin capsules can be placed into plastic cards (normally two inches or three inches square) and placed into pocket album pages or into small storage file boxes. Coin capsules typically cost $5-7 apiece and are great options for safe, long-term storage.
Among the most respected-and most expensive-storage options in the coin market are Lucite panel holders. Lucite holders usually consist of three panels. One panel is usually opaque-colored and has ports for holding one to dozens of coins apiece. The other two panels are clear, and sandwich the port-holed, coin-holding panel; these three panels are held together with screws. Such Lucite holders provide the very best in airtight storage, aesthetically pleasing display, overall quality, and longevity. They also range from between $5 for holders that contain one coin to nearly $100 for those which display a couple dozen coins in one Lucite sandwich. Lucite holders also can be a little bulky. They measure about ½” to 3/4″ thick when accounting for the thickness of the sandwich and the screws, whose typically rounded heads protrude slightly above the surface of the holder. They also range in diameters from 2 inches by 2 inches for the individual coin holders to a foot square and larger for the multiple-coin displays. Lucite holders may to be as efficient or economical a display option as coin albums, but these plastic sandwiches make for handsome presentation pieces. They can safely and proudly show off coins for decades, and Lucite holders are valued by many collectors for their quality construction. If kept from scratches, nicks, and other forms of abuse (these holders can crack if bent or dropped) Lucite holders present the collector with a grand way to both display and protect coins ranging from the common to the rare.
While the collector does have other options to be found in the ever-growing coin supply market, the aforementioned mediums represent the bulk of the coin storage devices available. Furthermore, the montage of holders mentioned in this article provides a good example of some of the most common, classic, and popular storage options that many coin collectors favor. As you can see, there are many different coin storage choices available to you. The main differences lie in that which distinguishes most any product from another-affordability, quality, purpose, and aesthetics. After reviewing your own criteria, it will serve you well to look at the many coin dealer websites on the internet, stop by your local coin dealer, or peruse the catalogs of some of the many mail-order coin dealers to get an even better idea as to exactly which holder(s) most appeal to your needs and tastes. At any rate, you will find that the coin storage market is vast and diverse. Without a doubt, you are sure to find the coin storage option that is right for you and your beloved collection.
