4/12/18 Report - Storing Coins and Other Finds: A Few Tips. Dinosaur Tracks.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Four Walking Ladies

I was looking at some older coins the other day and noticed some things that I wanted to pass along.

Once you have found an item, cleaning is the next step, and then comes storage.  Record keeping is something that should be done at different times and for different reasons.  I keep records of finds that will help me keep track of how I'm doing and what is found at different areas.  But there is another kind of record keeping that you might find helpful.

When you store finds like those shown above, it can be helpful to label them well.  I didn't do enough of that for the coins shown above.  Only one of the four tells where it was found and only one tells when it was found.  I'd recommend putting having that information on your finds.  It is always nice to have good labels to help revive your memory.

Below are a couple silver dimes that were stored in a clear plastic envelope.

Two Proof Silver Dimes.

I think I won these two silver dimes at a metal detecting club meeting.  That isn't clear though, and I'm not perfectly sure.

The plastic container once had a paper label in it that is now falling apart.  You can see that.  The heat and humidity of Florida is not easy on things.

The plastic container was stapled for some reason.  You can see the rust from the staple on the left side.  You would not want a proof coin, or any nice coin, stored touching a staple or any other piece of metal.  Keep nice coins away from other metal objects.

Below is what numismaster says.

Next come the plastic 2x2 coin flips. Make sure that you get rid of the PVC plastic. Mylar flips will replace them, but can damage coins if they are moved in and out frequently, as always, be careful, especially if you are storing valuable gold or silver coins.

Plastic and paper flips should not be used for long term storage of more than six months. Under exceptional conditions they will protect your coins over a longer span, but the big problem is that they are not airtight.

The same is true of the cardboard 2x2 holders. They have a Mylar window so that you can see both sides of the coin. These can be stapled shut, again with the warning not to get the staples or the stapler too close to the coin. To keep the coin safe the 2x2 needs to be stapled on the three open sides. Again the reminder to use your pliers to flatten the staple legs so they don’t damage an adjacent coin. Staples will rust, but there are stainless steel staples on the market.

Next come coin folders and coin boards. These have holes for each date and mint, and in some cases the outstanding minting varieties, such as overdates. These are what you most likely will use to start your collection. Most folders have a paper backing, so you can see only one side of the coin. They expose the visible side to the atmosphere and any pollution, contamination or fingerprints. My recommendation is that you use them for circulated coins that will not show problems. Your uncirculated coins need special protection and proof coins should be left in their packaging. This is especially true for questions on how to store gold coins, if the coin is a proof coin, it should stay in the packaging it came in..

Here is the link for more about that.

http://www.numismaster.com/ta/inside_numis.jsp?page=how-to-store-coins

For common inexpensive coin finds I like the Whitman coin folders and plastic prescription bottles with the original labels removed.  The folders are convenient and fun.  You can easily see what is missing from your collection and upgrade the collection as you find better examples.

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Rare prehistoric dinosaur footprints discovered in the UK have shed new light on the middle Jurassic period, according to a new report.

The study, published in the Scottish Journal of Geology on Monday, was carried out by researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who unearthed 50 new dinosaur footprints left 170 million years ago in the Isle of Skye, northwest of Scotland..

Here's the link for more.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/03/europe/dinosaur-tracks-scotland-intl/index.html

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The wind picked up yesterday and changed direction.  The surf today is to be bigger.  Some sand should get moved.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net