I have been putting coins in the 2x2" cardboard flips, using atleast 3 different brands over the last several months and I figured these would be good protection for my coins that I want to be able to show people, but with all the talk about coin sets being ruined by holders.. I'm nervous! What will my coins look like in 50 years? These aren't coins that are extremely valuable, but I would still like to keep them nice! Like a proof Franklin and nicer regular production coins that I find. Thanks!
Some of my coins were purchased 8-10 years or more ago, already in cardboard/mylar 2x2s for who knows how long, and they are in the same condition as when I bought them.
First, there's no such thing as a holder that will protect for 50 years or beyond. But I do believe there's at least one that would probably come close. Problem #1 - What was the coin like BEFORE it was put into a holder? LOTS of coins have early stage problems that just haven't manifested themselves yet. A surface that has been touched by a finger comes to mind. It may not show up for a year or so. IMO that's how a coin in a TPG slab could get a fingerprint. It was there before slabbing, just not visible yet. Problems #2 - Storage conditions. Variations in temperature are bad BUT high humidity is the REAL problem. - 2x2's properly sealed should be good for 5-10 years. My suggestion would be to reholder them evey 5 years. - I've never been comfortable with flips. Too open. - Slabs are good but not totally sealed. - Eagle Coin Holders (mentioned in another thread) are at least as good as 2x2's and probably better. - The closest to permanent protection that I can imagine is Capital Plastics holders. If the coin is problem-free when put into one of these it will stay problem-free for a long while. Drawbacks are expense and storage.
A lot of it has to do with not "what" your coins are in, but where they are kept as well. IMHO, like a fine wine, a coin can only get better with age.
I would say a problem free coin in a mylar flip that has been heat sealed. No chance of any gas exchange. The mylar should be extremely stable at normal temperatures , humidity wouldn't matter since it was sealed, and probably equal with rigid plastic for becoming brittle over 50 years. I don't believe that either was readily available in 1960, so we have no precedence. I think that as an experiment I could keep a coin in even a PVC flips and not have it damaged over 50 years IF I kept it in a normal room environment AND EXAMINED it ever few months, and rinse it in acetone if I saw any evidence of Plasticizer migration. These problems do not occur overnight. JMHO. Of course, my expected lifetime falls short of 50 more yrs , so someone else would have to do it.
You should be fine with 2x2 cardboard holders that have the mylar window inserts. These are generally inert and as long as the coin has no noxious gunk on it already and you don't store it in some completely inappropriate manner you should be fine. The only thing I would worry about is if you use staples that start to rust and bleed into the cardboard; at this point I would change the holder.
I have had coins in 2X2 cardboard holders with the mylar windows for almost 40 years with no holder related problems. Just keep them stored at a relatively constant temperature and low humidity and they're fine.
Your best bet if you are going to have a long term storage Method, is to get a vault or safe and make sure the mylars are PVC FREE. Also get some sylica gel its those little packets in shoe boxs that are poison they absorb oxygen so you coins wont get spots. Also put them in a dry place and for your expensive coins get them slabbed buy NGC Or PCGS .....or maybe ANACS
Me too. Not sure how long but I've had many coins in cardboard flips for as long as they have been around. 40 or more yeasrs now. Vertually no problems with any of them. I live in a very high humidity area and still no problems. One thing I may be doing differently is instead of using staples, I seal the edges with clear tape. Less chance any gasses can get to the coins that way. Also, really easy to open with a exacto knife and then reusable. Ripping out staples usually ruins them but tape, no problems there either. Also, stack up next to each other better with tape instead of staples. Staples if not flattened can scratch a the coin in the next flip but not so with tape.
2x2s and flips in my experience are 2 of the worst coin mounting options for many of the reasons outlined earlier. I will say that Eagle Coin Holders are far superior to cardboard 2x2s either the staple or self sealing-or unsealing as I like to call them-because they squeeze down much thicker mylar film tightly to the coin and have a tight fitting tougue and groove polycarbonate frame in either white or black. I prefer the white so that I can make my own custom labels. They are 100% PVC free and hold the coin tightly in place if assembled correctly. I would put Eagle and Capital Plastics on par with each other, with the edge to Eagle because or their lighter weight and reduced bulk. Cointains and Air-Tites are good too, but don't lend themselves well to good mounting. DYI slabs are just too bulky for me and can get expensive. Whitman plastic coin mounts are too fragile and tend to crack when assembling and seem no more air tight than staple 2x2s. Intercept Shield has some good 2x2s with their protection insert surrounding the coin, but the cost is quite prohibitive and seems to need some custom fitting for the coin when mounting them in the insert. I went with Eagle 24 years ago and haven't gone back yet!
I use 2x2 cardboard holders Essentially all my raw coins are in 2x2 cardboard holders unless they are too large for the dollar sized 2x2. I think that my eyes have changed over 40 years of collecting more than the appearance of my coins in those 2x2s. The raw coins that spent time in my Dansco albums and Whitman folders certainly changed over the years.
I have some coins that have been in the same Capital Plastics holders since the 1960's with no noticable change. I collect year/mint sets so I like the presentation of the holders. The drawbacks, cost and size, are the tradeoff.
I am content using the cheap 2x2 cardboard holder. This photo depicts a coin that I put into the 2x2 holder sometime around 1970. The label was typed using the available typewriter. Today, my raw coins are all assembled in 2x2s like this except that the labels are printed using computer & ink jet printer. I suppose that if I had a vintage cent in 66 red, then I would have it put into hard plastic but I am fine with the 2x2 for the balance of my collection.
I think storage conditions have as much to do with coins changing color or corroding as the holder. I will say to each his own and far beit for me to criticize another collector's choice in holders, but I stand by my statement that the staple 2x2s and even the inert mylar flips do not offer very good protection for coins. The mylar is thin on the staple 2x2s and in the one photo, you can see the rectangular coin almost piercing the mylar. The cardboard on these is often not acid free and has caused coins to change color over the long term. As far as looks go, the 2x2s and flips just look cheap, even for inexpensive coins. On larger coins, both holders do not offer the stability that Eagle or Capital offer.
I will not use cardboard flips for proof coinage. Like The Virginian, I generaly prefer Eagle holders for raw coins.
I have seen many a coin get what the grading services might call questionable toning or artificial toning-right or wrong...from using 2x2 mylar card board holders. This is more of a problem with uncirculated or proof coins, but even nice AUs may be damaged over time.
Are you saying that, even on modern 2x2 coin flips (e.g., Cowens) with a mylar interior, the cardboard that is used is probably not acid-free and may damage the coin over time? Or is this just a risk for earlier coin flips?
I remove all coins I purchase that are in cardboard flips, I hate the look and the staples. They go into 2x2 double flips with paper info inserts.
