Storage options - capsules, tubes, flips - can you get it wrong?

[FourNinesFine]

I've been reading through past forum posts on this topic and while they always involve people sharing their favourite ways to store their stack, I just want to be sure there isn't a wrong way to do it!?

I'm framing the question on its head because I think it's easier to avoid catastrophic mistakes this way, rather than just seeing what's popular. For instance, there could be 10 'OK' ways to do it - but 2 that you should avoid under all circumstances.

Some specifics then:

• Is there any risk of buying bulk generic capsules from ebay / amazon, versus genuine Air-tite or Lighthouse (for instance)? No nasty chemicals in the generics that will tarnish the coins over the long-term etc.?
• Can coins be stored safely in the original flip sleeves or is this a no-no?
• Do capsules have to be exact? Case in point, Brits and Maples. Many places tend to recommend the same size capsule but the coins have a slightly different diameter. Is this an isssue meaning that capsules need to be bespoke for each different variation in your stack?
• If I'm not intending to handle them, are RM tubes of 25 OK for long-term storage or should each coin be in its own capsule?

I hope these questions are OK. I've been overwhelmingly impressed by the responses to my other questions - and the interesting side-notes and conversations that have sprung up. All of it helping me learn things I wouldn't have known if I'd not asked the question in the first place.

Thanks in advance,

FNF.

 

[Gordy]

All questions are ok matey, 

if you dont ask you dont get the answers eh?

Everyone is different in their views over this and it all depends on your own specific needs/wants/space etc, and i am guessing by the post you mean silver.

I have a mixture of different storage uses.

My plain old bullion can be put in tubes and put away in my safe but if I want to sell i will either sell in the tube of offer them individually in caps

my collections/sets go into coin presentation boxes in caps with a few 1g silica bags and then in the safe

my proofs will either be in a box that holds the full series or individual boxes and again if space allows i chuck in a silica bag or two

Tubes that are full with 25 (or 14 if using 2oz QB's) for example will not dink around if you put in the foam square to hold them tighly

half filled tubes can move around so unless they are cushioned may or may not move and small dinks could appear if manhandled

some also use shippers that hold 20 coins without caps in their own individual slots so no dinks.

I dont have any silver coins in flips, i prefer them in caps or tubes

Gold in flips is different though.

 

[modofantasma]

I saw a video somewhere online about a collector who had silver coins in those capsules with the foam black rings around them and it seemed be leaving marks on them. I generally just buy bullion and stack things in boxes and tubes although there will be plenty of people with far more insight into storing beautiful proof coins 👍🏽

[Gordy]

25 minutes ago, modofantasma said:

I saw a video somewhere online about a collector who had silver coins in those capsules with the foam black rings around them and it seemed be leaving marks on them. I generally just buy bullion and stack things in boxes and tubes although there will be plenty of people with far more insight into storing beautiful proof coins 👍🏽

yeah, none of my capsules for silver have the black rings

[goldsilverdash]

I only buy capsules for pure gold coins. Less than pure ones, like Krugerrands don't need capsules, and neither do silver bullion coins. These I keep in plastic coin envelopes or in tubes.

[FourNinesFine]

1 hour ago, Gordy said:

All questions are ok matey, 

if you dont ask you dont get the answers eh?

Everyone is different in their views over this and it all depends on your own specific needs/wants/space etc, and i am guessing by the post you mean silver.

I have a mixture of different storage uses.

My plain old bullion can be put in tubes and put away in my safe but if I want to sell i will either sell in the tube of offer them individually in caps

my collections/sets go into coin presentation boxes in caps with a few 1g silica bags and then in the safe

my proofs will either be in a box that holds the full series or individual boxes and again if space allows i chuck in a silica bag or two

Tubes that are full with 25 (or 14 if using 2oz QB's) for example will not dink around if you put in the foam square to hold them tighly

half filled tubes can move around so unless they are cushioned may or may not move and small dinks could appear if manhandled

some also use shippers that hold 20 coins without caps in their own individual slots so no dinks.

I dont have any silver coins in flips, i prefer them in caps or tubes

Gold in flips is different though.

 

Hey me'harty.

Thanks for this. For what it's worth, I do have some sovereigns that are currently in flips, so I'll probably ugrade them to capsules.

FNF.

[GoldDabbler]

I might be wrong but I read recently that PVC flip pouches can leach chemicals over time that can affect coins. Anyway I took my coins out of the pouches they came in and stuck them in Lighthouse capsules to save any worry. I then stuck the capsules in the pouches to stop the capsules getting scratched  I'm a belt and braces sort.

[FourNinesFine]

1 minute ago, GoldDabbler said:

I might be wrong but I read recently that PVC flip pouches can leach chemicals over time that can affect coins. Anyway I took my coins out of the pouches they came in and stuck them in Lighthouse capsules to save any worry. I then stuck the capsules in the pouches to stop the capsules getting scratched  I'm a belt and braces sort.

😅 No waste! It's gotta be right!

[GoldDabbler]

Just now, FourNinesFine said:

😅 No waste! It's gotta be right!

These sovs are mighty pretty. I'm sticking them in as much protection as I can.  

[goldsilverdash]

21 minutes ago, GoldDabbler said:

I might be wrong but I read recently that PVC flip pouches can leach chemicals over time that can affect coins. Anyway I took my coins out of the pouches they came in and stuck them in Lighthouse capsules to save any worry. I then stuck the capsules in the pouches to stop the capsules getting scratched  I'm a belt and braces sort.

I also put encapsulated coins in plastic pouches to protect the capsule, mainly because I have plenty of such pouches anyway so why not use them.

[FourNinesFine]

14 minutes ago, goldsilverdash said:

I also put encapsulated coins in plastic pouches to protect the capsule, mainly because I have plenty of such pouches anyway so why not use them.

Is this plastic pouch some sort of padded affair, or just a polythene bag? Do you have a pic you'd be happy to share?

[goldsilverdash]

20 minutes ago, FourNinesFine said:

Is this plastic pouch some sort of padded affair, or just a polythene bag? Do you have a pic you'd be happy to share?

It's these that I have, I bought 100 of them at some point: https://www.celticgold.eu/en/coin-envelope-50-x-50-mm-clear.html

 

[GoldDabbler]

41 minutes ago, FourNinesFine said:

Is this plastic pouch some sort of padded affair, or just a polythene bag? Do you have a pic you'd be happy to share?

Just a bog standard pvc pouch. Cost's about £366. Comes with a free sovereign.

[FourNinesFine]

Talent borrows, genius steals. 

@goldsilverdash

[GoldDabbler]

3 hours ago, FourNinesFine said:

Talent borrows, genius steals. 

@goldsilverdash

That's the ticket! Now you can paw all the sovs you'll accumulate and stop the things that stop the sovs getting scratched from getting scratched.  Unless you have a safety deposit box, then it's visiting times only and you're left to stare at photos of your wares while they sit miles away. :D 

[FourNinesFine]

5 minutes ago, GoldDabbler said:

 Unless you have a safety deposit box, then it's visiting times only and you're left to stare at photos of your wares while they sit miles away. :D 

That sounds awful!

[GoldDabbler]

59 minutes ago, FourNinesFine said:

That sounds awful!

It's like 'Lets watch a film about gold and surround myself with gold while I'm watching it to bask in the goldness' - but I can't because it's not at home so i have to look at photos of my growing sov collection (all 4 of them lol) and make do with that. Mind you they are very photogenic ...

I posted this pic earlier. Good. Don't care  

[FourNinesFine]

2 hours ago, GoldDabbler said:

It's like 'Lets watch a film about gold and surround myself with gold while I'm watching it to bask in the goldness' - but I can't because it's not at home so i have to look at photos of my growing sov collection (all 4 of them lol) and make do with that. Mind you they are very photogenic ...

I posted this pic earlier. Good. Don't care  

Yours is twice the size of mine. But you know what they say...

[GoldDabbler]

7 hours ago, FourNinesFine said:

Yours is twice the size of mine. But you know what they say...

Haha I might be over compensating by zooming in on  my four coins after looking at the stacks of some of the members in this site. One fella had upwards of 40 sovs  I'm a few coins short of that lol. I believe the Americans would say 'I need to up my game'  

[modofantasma]

2 hours ago, GoldDabbler said:

Haha I might be over compensating by zooming in on  my four coins after looking at the stacks of some of the members in this site. One fella had upwards of 40 sovs  I'm a few coins short of that lol. I believe the Americans would say 'I need to up my game'  

If you can still count 'em you need a few more 

[GoldDabbler]

3 hours ago, modofantasma said:

If you can still count 'em you need a few more 

I'll run out of money before I run out of fingers at this rate lol 

[Earthmetal]

I found this helpful. I only have the one tube at the moment, and even that is not yet full.
Am I doing something wrong, I struggle to get the coins inserted flat, they want to tip on edge and slam sideways onto the face of the coin below... Currently I'd be better putting them in my trouser pocket than that tube...