A Questions Guide to Buying a Cabinet (Written by a Novice)TL;DR: Ask as many questions about the archival qualities of the cabinet as possible. You want to know that every material used at every step of the process is safe for your coins so that they age beautifully.
Cabinet BasicsWe all want to be able to preserve our coins in the best way possible and to present them in an attractive way that really draws in a wow factor from those we talk to. From doing research, talking to expert conservators, and asking an annoying number of questions to a cabinet maker. I want to share what I found about cabinets in the form of questions you should ask whoever you are
buying a cabinet from.
The less volatile the materials used the better. If your goal is to perfectly preserve the coins with as little
toning as possible, the best material is inert
pvc free plastic, the same as you use for
flips. Stainless steel for casing, and an overall modern look. If this makes you happy, then that's amazing! You are done choosing your cabinet design. Other people want
wood and velvet or felt for a more vintage look.
WoodWood is a dangerous substance as it degases, that is to say that the smell of
wood can damage coins. Our goal should be to avoid as much of the
wood smell as possible and also to isolate our coins from direct contact with the
wood.
What
wood is used? Mahogany is the
king of coin storage, other
woods may be acceptable but beware fir, or pine as these are some
woods that degas a lot. Just think, you've never heard of a
birch or mahogany candle, but you have seen pine scented candles and you know the smell of oak. If it smells, avoid it.
Is the
wood dried? Kiln drying the
wood cooks out the woody smell reducing degassing and making it more archival safe. Old
woods are also safer as they have almost fully degassed.
How is the cabinet built? You will want to avoid glues and non archival safe solvents in the assembly.
Is a water based polyurethane or 2
part epoxy used to seal the
wood? Sealing the
wood further slows degassing. It is important that it not be a chemically based sealant as these degas worse than
wood. Safe sealants include water based polyurethane and 2
part epoxies ad neither of these release any vapors when dried, be sure to do your research online to make sure as each manufacturer is different. Avoid any oil, or alcohol based sealants.
What separates the coins from the
wood? You want an inert substance between the coins and the
wood. At minimum this should be an archival safe acid free soft
fabric such as felt or velvet, above and beyond the
wood should be isolated from the coins with a plastic.
How is the
fabric adhered to the
wood? You want the adhesive here to be archival safe as well, if it isn't then your coins will be in contact long term with something you don't want them to be.
By asking these questions, you should be able to assess if the cabinet you are interested in will suit your needs.
If you live in a humid
area, buy silica packs to store in your cabinet to keep out moisture.
