Help with a coin pile 0

[rob_hobnob]

Hi everyone!  I recently inherited a coin collection, but would describe it more as a pile of coins.  I'd like to organize it for display, and was wondering what most of you keep your coins in?  Do you use boxes or binders?  The way this collection has been stored is pretty comical.  They are in old pill boxes, tins for tea, Gimbal's department store bags among other things.  I bought a Red Book and started looking through them, and so far I don't think it is worth much.  Actually I bet the vintage Gimbals bag is worth more!  I'd like to organize it mostly for sentimental reasons.  There are some coins my grandfather carried overseas in the service, and some my father carried in Vietnam.  I'll probably add some from my deployments.  Also there are some coins in folding blue cardboard, which is nice because it is compact, but you can't see the backs of the coins.  I was thinking of taking them out, but not sure what to put them in.  I'm definitely enjoying looking at these coins though, what a great piece of history!  I was hoping to find some recommendations on how to better keep and display them if you all have any advice.  Thanks!

[JKK]

2 hours ago, rob_hobnob said:

Hi everyone!  I recently inherited a coin collection, but would describe it more as a pile of coins.  I'd like to organize it for display, and was wondering what most of you keep your coins in?  Do you use boxes or binders?  The way this collection has been stored is pretty comical.  They are in old pill boxes, tins for tea, Gimbal's department store bags among other things.  I bought a Red Book and started looking through them, and so far I don't think it is worth much.  Actually I bet the vintage Gimbals bag is worth more!  I'd like to organize it mostly for sentimental reasons.  There are some coins my grandfather carried overseas in the service, and some my father carried in Vietnam.  I'll probably add some from my deployments.  Also there are some coins in folding blue cardboard, which is nice because it is compact, but you can't see the backs of the coins.  I was thinking of taking them out, but not sure what to put them in.  I'm definitely enjoying looking at these coins though, what a great piece of history!  I was hoping to find some recommendations on how to better keep and display them if you all have any advice.  Thanks!

An easy way is cardboard 2x2 flips and album pages (twenty to a page). Problem: you need up to seven different sizes of flips, and with world coins, it's trial and error which size to use. You might find it easier to use BCW clear plastic flips or Saflips, still 2x2. Your call which is easier. Added advantage of clear plastic: no stapling, meaning no need to buy a flat clinch stapler (or alternatively use pliers to flatten them). None of this is very expensive--several dozen dollars should take care of a lot of coins. Then you can put the album pages in any three-ring binder.

Let us know if you need any help with IDs. My FIL didn't bring home any Vietnamese coins, but I picked one out for my wife to remember him by. Most servicemen who went to the Pacific would have Aussie, Filipino, Japanese, and RVN stuff. Maybe Thai as well.

[rob_hobnob]

Thanks JKK!  The clear 2x2's look like the ticket.  You nailed it, they are all sorts of shapes and sizes!  I'm excited to see how this turns out, thanks!

[JKK]

41 minutes ago, rob_hobnob said:

Thanks JKK!  The clear 2x2's look like the ticket.  You nailed it, they are all sorts of shapes and sizes!  I'm excited to see how this turns out, thanks!

Glad to help. Another advantage of the clear plastic flips is that if you had to take a coin out to weigh and measure it for ID purposes (often obligatory with ancients, for example), you don't have to destroy the flip. You can just slip it out.