Ziploc Storage
Dear Dave:
I’ve been a coin collector since my grandmother got me interested when I was nine years old. I enjoyed your article in the December 21st, 2009 issue of Coin World, “Hello Treasury Department!” I also totally agree with you!!!
I have a technical question for you. I’m updating my coin collections and I have placed them in new albums that are PVC free. I thought that it might also be a good idea to protect them from any humidity that “might be” present in bank safe deposit storage boxes. My plan is to place the albums in individual “Ziploc” (a Johnson and Johnson product) plastic bags. How do you feel about my plan or do you have a better suggestion?
Sincerely,
Bill V.
Dear Bill V.:
Thank you for your e-mail. I have no particular advice to give on Ziploc, except probably to say that if the bank vault is damp, you’d want to put the items in such bags before you put them in the bank. I have never heard of any particular damage to coins in bank vaults except for vaults that are in damp areas, such as in Florida. If you suspect dampness, I suggest that you move to another bank.
Beyond that, it has been my experience that the certified holders used by PCGS, ANACS, and NGC have been satisfactory for storing coins without having them being toned, and this is true of most other certified holders as well. Probably heat is a greater threat to coin surfaces than is dampness, but both should be avoided.
Best Wishes,
Dave
