Do slabs need to breath?

[Bennett]

Suppose you could create a coin slab that was 100% impermiable for air and all gasses. Would that be a good thing for your coin?

 

Seems to me that the air inside such a slab might start to get stale or polluted from gasses given off by the inside surfaces of the slab or maybe the coin itself. Over time, maybe the air inside would be worse for the coin than the small amount of fresh air needed to vent it out.

 

 

[ant]

i never thaught of it that way!

[okbustchaser]

Do slabs need to breath?

 

No, but the coins do. Crack 'em out. Crack 'em ALL out!

[bsshog40]

I think the slabs are made of inert plastic. If so, these are chemically stable.

[PerryHall]

Slabs are not airtight. When the barometric pressure increases, air will enter the slab and when the barometric pressure decreases, air will leave the slab. Current slabs breath however slowly.

[jman425]

I don't think the coins produce any outgas and the plastic used in the slabs are not reactive. There would be no advantage of letting them breathe, unless you want toning to continue.

[michael]

no....................... but they still do to some extent and some more than others

[errorist]

How can they breathe without lungs?

[michael]

"breathe"

[michael]

in quotes poindexter

[BillJones]

Suppose you could create a coin slab that was 100% impermiable for air and all gasses. Would that be a good thing for your coin?

 

Seems to me that the air inside such a slab might start to get stale or polluted from gasses given off by the inside surfaces of the slab or maybe the coin itself. Over time, maybe the air inside would be worse for the coin than the small amount of fresh air needed to vent it out.

 

 

There is a certain logic to this. If the coin has been dipped the residue can form gases that will cause the coin to tone and probably cause damage. At any rate an improperly dipped coin will tone over time, if it has trapped gas in the holder, the situation will get worse.

 

Slabs (all similar holders for that matter) are moisture traps. A totally cloased slab can trap moisture which can do damage to a coin.For this reason many copper collectors don't like slabs.

 

Similar situations can occur in a safe deposit box although those enclosures are not air tight. It’s a good idea to keep rubber bans OUT of the box where you store coins. The sulfur from them can promote toning on your coins.

 

[James_OldeTowne]

Suppose you could create a coin slab that was 100% impermiable for air and all gasses. Would that be a good thing for your coin?

 

Seems to me that the air inside such a slab might start to get stale or polluted from gasses given off by the inside surfaces of the slab or maybe the coin itself. Over time, maybe the air inside would be worse for the coin than the small amount of fresh air needed to vent it out.

 

You bring up an excellent point, and one that quite a few folks have concerns about, including myself. I can't tell you the number of times that I have cracked a slab open, and the fumes that spew out of the enclosed space are about enough to knock you out! It has been said that plastic is inherently not inert, and will inevitable leach chemicals onto the coin.

 

I wish I had an answer to your question. I have long been of the belief the best and safest practical storage mechanism is the tried-and-true mylar flip.

[Bennett]

"I have long been of the belief the best and safest practical storage mechanism is the tried-and-true mylar flip."

 

James, do you advocate cracking graded coins out of slabs and putting them in flips for this purpose?

[halfpint]

yet another hazard of second hand smoke!!!

[Oldtrader3]

I have had several coins turn in slabs within a year after I bought them due to dipping or chemical doctoring residue that I was unaware of. These coins need to be cracked out, lightly dipped (or professionally restored) and reslabbed before their surfaces become damaged or etched. Unfortunately, this problem has become widespread in the hobby and many TPG coins need neutralization after slabbing because of prior improper chemical treatment.

[Conder101]

The Post Office thinks they do. I've seen a lot of slabs that they did the Heimlich maneuver on.