Keeping Your Money Safe -- A Beginner's Guide To Coin Collection Storage

When building your coin collection, one of the most important aspects is how to properly store your coins. Improper storage and safety can damage materials and lower the value of the collection. To help get you on the right track, here is a handy guide to coin storage.

Keep it Cool. Coins and their storage media don't like humidity, warmth or changing temperatures. As is true with many antique collections, it's probably not appropriate to store it in the garage, attic or basement due to these environmental factors. A cool (preferably temperature-controlled) storage location, such as an interior storage unit, is ideal.

Make it Heavy Duty. Obviously, coins have some weight to them. And so your growing coin collection will eventually outgrow flimsy or haphazard storage systems. Plastic bins and containers or shelves of lightweight materials can collapse and damage your collection. Avoid this by using solid wood or metal storage shelves, filing cabinets or metal coin boxes.

Secure the Best. As you purchase or discover rare coins of higher value than the regular collection, you'll probably want to move them to a more secure storage location. One of the best places to store the most expensive pieces is in a bank safety deposit box. After all, the bank is built to keep money safe! You can save money by only keeping the most valuable coins there and storing the rest at a secured storage unit. Wherever you store your overall collection, be sure your homeowner's insurance policy will cover the additional value of the coins.

Individual Storage. Whatever method you use for shelving or filing your collection, invest in individual storage containers, so-called "2x2s" (usually mylar-lined cardboard) and "flips" specially made for coins. These coin holders should not be made from plastic containing PVC, which can deteriorate and damage the coin itself. Special paper envelopes are another option, but keep in mind that paper cannot protect the coin from water, mold or other contaminants. Use only stainless steel staples (placed not too close to each coin) to secure each coin and avoid removing it from the packaging unnecessarily. If the coin came in its own packaging (such as a proof coin), try to leave it in that secure packaging both for value and for protection.  

Knowing how to properly maintain and store all your coins from the start will help you create the most profitable and well-organized collection you can. Visit these guys to learn about coin collecting.