While many people collect coins, when it comes to choosing how they are stored it is very much down to the individual. Of course, some of this will be tied up with how large a person’s collection is and it will also be dependent on the amount of space they have. In this post I look at the pros and cons of different types of coin storage.
Loose
Some people choose to just keep their coins loose. While this is kind of okay with circulated ones you come across in your change, it really isn’t an option with brilliant uncirculated ones. Obviously, because loose coins are exposed to the air, they are also set to tone pretty quickly.
But, saying all that, just keeping coins loose is not a bad option for children or for those who are not deadly, deadly serious about collecting. So if only saving a few that appeal to you, this may actually be the best (and cheapest solution).
Packs
Most collectors will go all gooey over Royal Mint packaged coins. All of that bumf and presentation can make releases look even better than they are…. and will also manage to make even crap releases look half decent. However, not everyone has the space to store dozens of packs and this is something that needs to be considered when you are deciding how to store your collection.
To make matters even more, about two years back The Royal Mint decided to change their packaging. Therefore, if you decide to collect your coins in packs then some of these will have an inch wide hangy-up strip at the top of them and some will not. You will also discover that the first few coins in your ‘Innovation of Science’ series are done in one style whilst the rest are done in another. ‘Continuity’ is clearly not an oft-used word at RM headquarters…..
Cards
Personally I would advise people not to collect coins in cards. This is simply because a lot of carded coins (basically those from Change Checker) are badly sealed and will tone very quickly indeed. I have seen lots with toning around their edges which are only two years old or even less.
Space-wise coins in cards are great. And the fact that they are all a uniform size is also really good. But the other big problem is that not all releases are available in cards (normally territory coins). And some coins from overseas will be in far larger cards than the others in your swish Change Checker ring binder……
Books
Coins in books are tidy and they are also discrete. Most coin books are small, compact and will blend in very nicely with normal books on your shelves. But…. because they are not in airtight pockets or containers you will once again have the same issues with toning.
Capsules
In my humble opinion this is the best way of all to store your collection. The only downside is it can soon become quite expensive if you have a lot of coins.
I would suggest, when purchasing, that you make a point of buying the same brand of capsule each time to ensure that everything in your collection is uniform. I would also suggest that you pay a little extra and choose ones that are a decent make. This will ensure that your capsules are of a higher calibre and they are properly air tight (or as much as is possible).
© Article and images (except where stated) copyright Mik Smith 2022
