ElBurro

Ha Ha, Yes the collection is gifted and extremely talented. Yet I am not gifted nor talented, thus my inability to explain concepts to others less gifted. As for how long a pelican can live in a watertight case; it all depends on how often you open it. Virginia I see, Cavalier or Hokie?

Mr.Bill347, Thanks. Had to edit my reply. Thanks for the link to amazon. While I was looking at the case, down in the related products section was a water tight pelican case. I have several of these for my old underwater camera gear that would work perfect for storing the proofs sets to protect against moisture. All I have to do is order a replacement insert that I can custom size for the proof sets.

J P Mashoke, Thanks. The cigar box nice idea. Right now I have them in old antique metal boxes. Stores OK but does really provide a nice way to view without individually taking them out of their original boxes. I'm old school and like to hold the coins (In capsules). Rummy13, Thanks. I really like your idea of a display cabinet that I can rotate the display. I have a few nice coins, but most my coins are not valuable other than the metal content. Nothing is graded or slabbed. Like you, I have several albums that contain circulated coins. I mostly looked for 1964 and prior. I like the real silver. I like the weighted feel. Guess that why I like to hold the coins to view. Never really got into the newer clad coins, but now I have a wide selection of them from my uncle. Don't have many modern dollars, though I like the looks and feel of the pure silver ones.

Mr.Bill347, Thanks for the links. I like the box you displayed but didn't see it on the link. Will dig more on the website to see if I can find it. Also looked at the albums and seems each hold 20 cases. If my guess is right, i would need 9 albums for the proof sets, not counting the uncirculated mint sets. I would be able to maintain the cases without breaking them open. I could always store the original mint boxes if I ever wanted them later. Coinbuf, Thanks. Again, sorry for the long post. Yes, I though about retaining the sets prior to 1968, since I have collected coins prior to 1965 and those would be duplicates anyway. Also keeping the more recent silver sets if the cases would protect the coins. I haven't collected much after 1965 other than a few unusual coins (bicentennial, etc) so the sets from 1969 through today would be what I think I would put in albums.

Hello Everyone, Sorry in advance for the long post. I'm very new (ie ignorant) as to official coin collecting. I have been able to collect many coins for fun from 1850's to 1960's just through pocket change and occasional finds over the years so my collection was just circulated coins. I just kept older coins based on not having that date/mint or interesting design. Didn't care much if the quality was great or not, just thought the old coins were interesting and tried to complete sets with the mints. However, recently I was given a sizable collection from my uncle since I was the only one in the family that is fascinated by the coins. Many of the coins were handed down from my grandfather and great grandfather and have filled in a lot of my missing coin dates. I am now on a steep learning curve with all things numismatic and I am truly a novice when it comes to grading coins. Along with the older individual coins, he gave me a stack newer coins in mint, proof, and silver proof sets (1950 to date). I never collected the newer coins and I am torn as to how to handle and store them. These sets are all in excellent condition based on my limited knowledge. My problem is they take a lot of storage space and they are not easily viewable. Having to take them in/out of boxes just to view them seems counter productive to the enjoyment of the coins. All my older coins I keep in basic plastic coin capsules and 2x2's from hobby lobby, in addition to several coin albums I've started over the years (Whitman, Dansco, etc). The older gifted coins I am using to fill in my empty spaces. These albums are easy to dig through to view, handle, and enjoy. I wasn't to concerned about additional aging because all my coins were circulated coins and I never plan to sell. I just wanted to keep them from getting additional wear and make them easy to view. With the addition of all these mint sets I am now wondering if I need to rethink how I store my coins. The new coins (1950 and newer) I would rather have stored in a manner that I can easily enjoy them. I don't however want to damage the coins or destroy any value since these were a gift to me. Any monetary value of the coin is far out weighed by knowing they were a gift from my uncle. I have been searching for the best way to preserve the coins and also provide the best viewing enjoyment while also honoring the gift from my uncle. I looked for a way to store the sets but have been unable to decide on the best path forward. Sticking them in boxes in a closet does not seem a worthy solution. Here's my quandry, do i remove the coins from the original packaging and create several really nice albums or keep them in the original packaging. With the addition of the mint sets I will have most coins dated 1880 through today (with some exceptions). I was thinking of removing the coins and creating albums for each denomination that span the last 140-150 years. From my research, my older albums do not protect the newer coins and may cause them to tone poorly. I'm leaning toward what I found online and looks like a good solution in the CAPS albums. These would allow me to place the coins in coin capsules like my older coins and also allow me to store them for viewing. It would also allow me to combine the older coins with the newer coins in albums sorted by denomination and design. I was hoping by posting on this site that all the smart coin collectors could help point me in the right direction. Should I separate the mint sets? Is it better to keep them original? Will separating them destroy their value? Are the mints set containers better for storage of newer coins to preserve their luster? Is getting the coins graded worth the cost if I don't plan to sell the coins? If grading is the best solution, how do you store them since you can combine then in albums? At this point I have way to many questions than answers, so any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.