Basic Packaging Questions

[jalotta-migration]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am new to coin collecting and I have been given a small collection mostly in cardboard holders with plastic windows. Going through them I noticed some of the coins are getting dark spot in places. I think the cellophane has a small hole in it, or air is leaking from between the staples.

 

Is it appropriate for me to replace the holders that are leaking?

 

Is there a better way than staples to seal them? I think the staples rub against the plastic and tear it.

 

Is there another method to store them better than the cardboards?

 

What about the colorations? Does it ruin the value if one side is spotted? Some are colored very nicely and others have ugly spots.

 

If a coin has lots of scratches or a ding in it, is it considered ruined and not collectable?

 

Thank you for your answers, your last answers helped me a lot.

 

Sincerely,

 

Joe.

[cpm9ball]

Hi, Joe! Welcome to the neighborhood!

 

First, the cardboard 2x2's with the mylar window are not airtight, so environmental conditions like heat and humidity can affect the coins. This is true for almost every coin holder on the market, even to some extent in the TPG slabs. The risk you face using stapled 2x2's is that a staple may accidentally scratch a coin in another 2x2. If this happens, the scratch renders the coin a "problem coin" which reduces it's value substantially. One of the more popular methods for storing coins is to use AirTites. They are round, plastic disks that can be purchased with or without a foam accent ring and are available in varying sizes from online sites like JP's Corner.

 

Spotting may or may not affect the grade of a coin, but it can often be removed through conservation. Some collectors will do this "at home" using pure acetone for silver coins (not copper!) but if you're like me and really don't know what you are doing, it is possible to "overdip" a coin and create a new problem. The other alternative to the home method would be to submit it for conservation, but unless there is substantial value for the coin, it may not be worth it.

 

As I mentioned previously, yes, scratches can affect the value of a coin, but nicks and dings are fairly common even for newly-struck coins coming from the Mint. Depending on severity, these "flaws" may reduce the grade of a coin, but they would not render a coin worthless.

 

Chris