Tracking down rare coins is only the beginning of the challenges faced by collectors. Coins may get lost or damaged if not stored properly, which may affect their value. An aspect of investing in coins that is almost as important as getting your hands on them is proper storage. Here, we will give you 12 safe coin storage ideas. We will explain their pros and cons so that you can decide which container works best for your gold, silver, old, and rare coins. Read on to discover:
- The best options for individual and mass coin collecting storage.
- The advantages and disadvantages of different coin storage solutions.
- How to safely store your rare and old coins.
To begin with, watch this insightful video on how keen coin collectors store their valuable items:
The best coin storage options
Whether you are looking to store one, dozens, or hundreds of coins, here are our top 12 storage ideas to keep your coins safe.
1. Coins album storage
Coin albums consist of several pages of plastic covers for coins bound together in a book. Albums typically have a large storage capacity, with some of them holding over 200 coins.
✅ There are several advantages to storing your coins in an album. One of the greatest ones is that they allow you to easily see both sides of a coin. Another one is that they are customizable, meaning you can order one with as many pages as you want to store your entire collection.
🚫 The problem with coin album storage, however, is that plastic is not the best material for protecting precious metals as it can contain trace amounts of sulfur and acids that cause damage.
2. Coin storage boxes
Coin collection storage boxes, as the name would suggest, are boxes made especially for the purpose of storing coins. They come in many different shapes and sizes and can be made from a wide variety of materials. The most popular ones are metal and wood.
✅ The biggest advantage of using a coin storage box for your collection is that they are durable. Even if there is external damage to the box, your coins will remain safe. Boxes are also difficult to break into.
🚫 One of the disadvantages of keeping your coins in a coin collection storage box is that, depending on their size, they can be heavy. This can make them challenging to transport. Wooden coin storage boxes are usually more tasteful than metal ones, but wood is susceptible to rot, mold and mildew. To keep your coins protected in a wooden box, you would have to take good care of the box.
3. Slabbed coin storage boxes
“Slabbed” is a term that refers to coins preserved in clear, plastic containers. These are normally expensive or rare coins. Slabbed coin storage boxes are made specifically for holding these types of coins.
The boxes themselves can be made of various different materials. The inert insert which comes in contact with the coins, however, is usually made with plastic that is engineered so as to not react with precious metals.
✅ The advantage of slabbed coin storage boxes is that the special plastic used means your coins are protected against physical damage, like corrosion or discoloration.
🚫 The problem with this type of coins storage, though, is that it comes at a significant cost. Another issue is that it is not easy to take coins out of their slabs, so you cannot enjoy your collection at any given time.
4. Rolled coin storage boxes
Rolled coin boxes are made for holding multiple bunches of coins that are wrapped together. The boxes themselves can be made of any material, while the contained coins are in paper or plastic.
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✅ Coin roll storage boxes are a perfect choice for collectors who have multiples of the same type of coin. They are a quick and easy way to organize a large number of coins that don’t need to be differentiated.
🚫 The disadvantage of keeping your coins in rolls within a box, however, is that access to your collection is difficult. To have a look and withdraw a single coin, you will have to undo a whole roll.
5. Coin storage trays
Coin storage trays are trays with integrated slits for coins. They come in a variety of sizes and can be created out of various materials, such as PVC and aluminum.
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✅ Coin trays have plenty of advantages and are very popular due to their versatility. Not only do they come in many sizes, but they are stackable and made to interlock. This means you can easily increase storage space as your collection expands. Another advantage of coin trays is they come in many different colors, which allows collectors to easily organize their coins by color coding.
🚫 The issue with using a coin storage tray for your collection, though, is that it does not contain a case for coins. This means your collection would inevitably be exposed to physical damage from being handled.
6. Coin storage tubes
Coin tubes are clear or opaque hard plastic tubes that hold numerous coins. They are, essentially, a sturdier version of coin rolls.
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✅ The main advantage of coin storage tubes is the fact that they can store a large number of coins while taking up minimal space. They are also lightweight and a very economical coin storage option.
🚫 The disadvantage of keeping your coins in tubes is that they are not an effective option for organizing them. Unless you keep one type of coin in each tube, it is impossible to know what exactly is contained within one.
7. Coin storage containers
“Coin storage containers” is basically another expression for “coin storage boxes”. When we talk about coin storage containers, we normally mean containers made for the purpose of holding coins. This includes sophisticated coin collecting storage containers designed to store specific types of coins, like the gold American Eagles that you can learn all about here for example.
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✅ The advantage of a very specialized coin storage box lies in its design. Since it is made by experts for specific coins, you can rest assured that it is the very best way to store coins. It is the perfect option for keeping your collection safe and protected from any type of damage.
🚫 The disadvantage of a specialized container is that it is one of the most expensive coin storage options out there.
8. Coin storage safe
A coin storage safe is a secured container used to store valuables. Storage safes are normally made of steel and have a manual or electrical lock mechanism.
✅ In terms of security, a safe is a great option for storing your coins. It is impenetrable and allows you to sleep safe in the knowledge that your collection will not be stolen.
🚫 The disadvantage is that, like specialized coin containers, it is an expensive storage solution. It is also not a complete solution for coin storage, as you will still need to get special encasing for your coins in order to protect them from physical damage.
9. Coin collection storage cabinets
Coin storage cabinets are custom-made cabinets that allow collectors to store and display their coins at the same time. Most coin cabinets are made of a combination of wood and glass. The interior design of the cabinets varies according to the owner’s preferences.