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Author Topic: questions from a beginner  (Read 4151 times)

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Offline HELEN S

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questions from a beginner
« on: October 09, 2012, 05:48:02 pm »
  well i am ready to think about housing my small collection i would like to view it quite often so anyone any ideas what is the best method coin box or drawers or any other ideas will be welcome
 i am wondering if when you put them in drawers do you actually have them in perspex or plastic packets which is your preference and why please??
 does anyone wax their coins to enhance them or is that not a good idea
 how to you catalogue them on each individual coin in a book or on a card system


 the reason for these questions is i want to get a method that is easy and tried and tested so i dont want to do it one way and find out that it isnt a great system

 thankyou for any answers you may give

Offline Mat

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2012, 05:52:23 pm »
I house my coins in a 3 ring binder in PVC free pages that hold 2x2 plastic flips. I use the flips that can be bought here since they are pretty durable compared to the ones on ebay. I like how I can have them presented in any order I want plus they look nice. I print my own flip info tickets unless they come with one already from a dealer.

I would prefer to have my coins in trays but I find that trays may take up too much space plus I worry about friction that can occur on the coins should they be moved alot.
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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2012, 06:43:32 pm »
There are probably a dozen threads on this if you look. I use non-pvc 2x2 flips. They have the space to slip in a paper for you to write up the coin any way you want and they're easy to rearrange. I use stackable plastic SafeT boxes with removable dividers. You have to look for them, but they are nicer than the cardboard. I like that I can have them divided in thirds so if a box is not full (which is often the case) the flips can't slide around so much and get jumbled up. It's not quite as nice as trays if you wish to handle your coins often, but I live in an apartment in Chicago so I like my collection to be unobtrusive. These boxes are easy to hide.

Offline Steve E

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2012, 07:15:37 pm »
This is what I have been using since I started collecting ancients a couple years ago. It is pretty inexpensive, small, portable, hideable, and holds upwards of 200 coins with the 6 mixed trays that I use. I am beginning to outgrow this and am considering adding another one or possibly a larger version. The nice wooden, decorative tray cabinets are not practical for me right now, both in expense and space.

http://www.safepublications.com/sections/coin-collecting-supplies/aluminum-carrying-cases-small

I hope I'm not wrong by posting the above link, since Joe doesn't sell these. Someone let me know if I am :angel:

~Steve

Offline Lucas H

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2012, 08:07:09 am »
Quote
I house my coins in a 3 ring binder in PVC free pages that hold 2x2 plastic flips. I use the flips that can be bought here since they are pretty durable compared to the ones on ebay. I like how I can have them presented in any order I want plus they look nice. I print my own flip info tickets unless they come with one already from a dealer.I would prefer to have my coins in trays but I find that trays may take up too much space plus I worry about friction that can occur on the coins should they be moved alot.

This is basically my method as well.  I have looked at cabinets.  They look very nice.  However, I do not have the space for a large cabinet in my home, and in my mind, that would be an instant attraction should there ever be a burglar.  I also have a 3 year old, and I can just see her wandering in and "playing daddy's coins" while no one was looking with a cabinet sitting there. 

I use the archival safe flips from here at the forum, and write my own 2x2 insert to describe the coin on one side and on the other, tell something about the coin's place in history whether it comes with a dealer tag or not.  I have my own convention for describing coins.  I keep all dealer tags behind mine.  If you look at the descriptions of my Flavians in my gallery, the first paragraph is side one of my description, and the second paragraph is side two.  I then put the flips in pages that hold 20.  I organize them by RIC number (basically chronological).  I then organize the pages in three-ring binders.  The binders are easy to conceal in the house, are easy to transport, and fit well in the safe deposit box at the bank. 

Quote
There are probably a dozen threads on this if you look.

Look through this board for more ideas:  https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?board=14.0

This sticky topic addresses a lot of the various methods:  https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=15996.0 

Offline Randygeki(h2)

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2012, 01:58:29 am »
Quote from: Mat on October 09, 2012, 05:52:23 pm
I house my coins in a 3 ring binder in PVC free pages that hold 2x2 plastic flips. I use the flips that can be bought here since they are pretty durable compared to the ones on ebay. I like how I can have them presented in any order I want plus they look nice. I print my own flip info tickets unless they come with one already from a dealer.

I would prefer to have my coins in trays but I find that trays may take up too much space plus I worry about friction that can occur on the coins should they be moved alot.

That's how I did it as well, but would also prefer a nice cabinet and treys.

Offline Mat

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2012, 11:37:06 am »
Well I would prefer to have a cabinet or trays but the reasons I mentioned above and Lucus mentioning "easy transportration for theft" also keeps me from buying them.


The only annoyance I have is I keep my coins in year order, from oldest *b.c.* to newest *early modern*. I keep them in order of the emperors regin so when I get a new one I have to take out all the others after a new emperor or empress and make room for the new one to be placed. Sometimes I leave a empty for a cheap one I know I will buy in the future but sometimes that isnt the case.

Thats the only reason I liked having the flips in 2x2 double row boxes but the flips scuffed badly in those so thats why I went the binder route.
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Offline Pekka K

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2012, 11:56:12 am »
For small coins I use 2X2 (aka 5X5) slide mounts.
Flips fit there perfectly.

Pekka K

Offline museumguy

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2012, 12:45:01 pm »
I use the NoVa coin trays and case.  There are many different sizes and depending on which size you buy you can get anywhere from 62-80 slots for coins.  They are covered in felt with clear plastic tops that sort of snap together when in the case and easily slide out.  The case has a lock and a handle for easy transport.  Since coins are different sizes I cannot always keep all types together and obviously have to put them where they fit best. I do put a small non-acidic circle of paper with a number that matches my coin database (Bento) in each slot so I can fairly easily locate a specific coin.  All in all it works fine for me.

Steve S.

Offline dafnis

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2012, 03:28:19 am »

Offline HELEN S

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2012, 04:05:19 am »
On cabinets, mine among them: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=67903.0

  stunning cabinets true workmanship not sure my collection is worthy of being housed in such luxury lol
 thanks everyone for your comments i am going to look through and work out which method will suit me best

Offline Lucas H

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #11 on: October 14, 2012, 02:21:35 pm »
Quote
I keep them in order of the emperors reign so when I get a new one I have to take out all the others after a new emperor or empress and make room for the new one to be placed. Sometimes I leave a empty for a cheap one I know I will buy in the future but sometimes that isnt the case.

I had a problem with this as well.  Add a new Vespasian from early in his reign, and redo all the others.  I finally started leaving 4 or 5 blanks on each page to fill in, and I don't have to reshuffle now until I add lots of new additions in a given area

Offline Andrew McCabe

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #12 on: October 14, 2012, 02:33:46 pm »
Quote from: Lucas H on October 14, 2012, 02:21:35 pm
Quote
I keep them in order of the emperors reign so when I get a new one I have to take out all the others after a new emperor or empress and make room for the new one to be placed. Sometimes I leave a empty for a cheap one I know I will buy in the future but sometimes that isnt the case.

I had a problem with this as well.  Add a new Vespasian from early in his reign, and redo all the others.  I finally started leaving 4 or 5 blanks on each page to fill in, and I don't have to reshuffle now until I add lots of new additions in a given area.  

It's not a problem if you enjoy handling your coins. Seriously. I used to fill my trays in a similar manner with no blanks, accumulate a group of coins through purchases over several months, and then have the unmitigated pleasure of having to rearrange all my trays from start to end to fit in the new coins. Sometimes when I'd finish I'd still have a coin left over with no space for it, or a blank with no coin. Perhaps unconsciously I made the odd deliberate error to have the fun of rearranging a second time.

Seriously though, there are all sorts of practical means getting around the 'problem', if you regard it as a problem (which it perhaps isn't). Aside from leaving a few blanks on each tray or page, if you think that looks untidy then you can arrange your coins in groups (Julio-Claudians, Flavians, Hadrian to Commodus etc) and at the end of each group chance will ensure you've a few blanks; in that way there is less rearranging to do, whilst still essentially keeping each page full.

I've slimmed my collection in recent years, and now have about 20 trays of coins which I operate on a strict one-in one-out regime. When I add a coin to a tray, it must be at least better than the worst coin currently in the tray (worse, considering rarity as well as condition). Then I remove the 'worse' coin which gets relegated to my study box, and eventually sold. In that way I don't really ever need to do a full rearrangement, just one tray. But to be honest, a full rearrangement is so much fun.

Offline Lucas H

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2012, 08:30:58 am »
Quote
It's not a problem if you enjoy handling your coins.

Ok, I admit it, at times, I do enjoy going through and moving my coins around.  My kids say "daddy's playing coins," and come to look them over.  Their favorite is the Domitian Pegasus reverse, and they even know how to find it.  Reshuffling gives me a chance to pull out and look at those that may have been in the folder for a while. 

Quote
Aside from leaving a few blanks on each tray or page, if you think that looks untidy then you can arrange your coins in groups (Julio-Claudians, Flavians, Hadrian to Commodus etc)

I don't frown on the blank spaces so much, but I do organize by groups.  For me, I have one notebook for Flavians, but it is divided into sections for Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian like my gallery, and then each is sorted by RIC number, which is roughly chronological.  I have a separate notebook divided into sections for Republic (I include "imperators" except Caesar into the Republic as Augustus had not received that title yet per another thread I saw recently about Antony's denarii) and 12 Caesars, each organized by Crawford number. 

Offline Mat

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #14 on: October 16, 2012, 11:02:51 am »
Well I collect differently then what some of you above collect. I still pretty much "buy what I like" so even though I dont want another domna or possibly trajan, sometimes that one nice coin pops up at a very good price and then the next thing you know its time to reshuffle.

I do leave blanks for coins I do plan on buying like the 3 of the 12 caesars I have left. Still have spots to fill for my lucilla/crispina set & then some scattered emperors I still wanna add.

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Offline carthago

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Re: questions from a beginner
« Reply #15 on: November 03, 2012, 05:54:36 pm »
I like Abfil coin cases and trays.  They come in lots of different tray and case sizes for your collection size and coin types.  Some cases are like mini brief cases that are super easy for transport to the bank or coin show

Chris

 

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