Numismatic and History Discussion Forums > Coin Photography, Conservation and Storage

DIY display stands

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Martin R3:
Hey all

First-time poster here. I only started in the hobby around one month ago and currently am mainly interested in the thrill of uncleaned coins, their identification, and historical context.

For storage, I primarily use coin capsules (being slightly worried that they may not be of archival quality), with an ID-ring linked to an OpenNumismat database. 

But one of course also wants to display one's nicest coins. (A topic which rarely seems to be discussed here.) Stands for coin capsules are neat, but somewhat missing in style. So a first project (hoping image upload works) was to 3D-print capsule stands in the shape of ruined ancient columns. I tried three styles so far (marble PLA, marble PLA with a black wash, and fully painted) and while I like the sculpt of the column, non of the finishes seem spot-on yet. Sadly the design is derived from a commercial STL, so I can't share files, but the stands work really well to display large format coins.

AE3s and AE4s are more tricky, simply due to their size. So last week I tried to come up with a "Museum grade" display for individual, small coins which allows to see the obverse and reverse including magnification and context information. https://jeffreysodemann.com/2020/12/27/roman-coin-steampunk-inspired-display-stand was a great inspiration regarding the layout. The final stand was assembled from a piece of scrap wood and a linen tester with 10x magnification. The base of the linen tester was replaced with a 3D-print which holds a coin capsula on a rotating axis. A 3D-printed frame on the right holds half of a 9x13cm photo with information on the coin (currently only a paper printout).  The current label is based on drawings screen-grabbed from ClassicalNumismatics on Youtube.

Looking forward to any feedback and further inspiration on how you all are displaying your AE3s & AE4s.

Best regards
Martin

Jay GT4:
Welcome to Forum!  Fantastic work!  I really like the columns.  It's a very unique way of displaying coins.

But I'm most intrigued by the magnification set up.  I don't think I've ever seen anything like that.  What might be worth looking into is to make the rotating coin holder removable, so that different coins might be swapped out. The base could have round slots for the coins to be stored in and then placed into the magnification as needed.  This would make a storage place for coins while limiting the need for lots of bases.  The only problem I see is that most ancient collectors like to actually hold their coins and don't keep them in capsules. 

Martin R3:
Hey Jay

Thanks for the warm (and very quick) welcome.

I agree that coins are best handled. But loose coins are sure to be get lost around the house  :P. This is something I can just leave lying around.
Regarding interchangeability: The rotating base is designed such that a capsule is simply press-fit into it. So capsules, as well as the label, can be exchanged quickly.

Ron C2:
I think all your ideas above have merit if you only want to display a few coins at a time.  Coin capsules can be archive quality, it depends which ones you get.  you want archival quality, acid and plastifier-free products, either flips or capsules.

I think your real challenge is you will quickly find you own maybe hundreds of coins and unless you have a VERY large home, the above methods will need to be reserved only for those pieces you really want to show off.

SC:
Welcome to forum.

Great items.  I suspect there would be a market for them if you ever went into business.

I see the value in having a display coin temporarily in a capsule.  Especially if you want something displayed in a home or office for a wider audience.  There are several types of capsules that open easily so unlike slabs they don't permanently trap the coin.

SC

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