Storing silver coins

[kiskelo]

Read a post earlier where someone stated that they stored there silver coins “correctly”. Made me think, what is the “correct” way to store silver.....?

[shortstack]

I read a certain plastic  (pvc) maybe reacts to the silver and causes problems I think @ShadowStack mentioned this subject on one of his YouTube presentations

It's a hugely important issue I feel why buy beautiful silver and risk ruining it and losing value if you store it incorrectly 

I'm sure others here can give you a more specific answer 

SS

[swAgger]

I think that might have been me in a thread where the pros or cons of keeping the Rwandan blisters intact came up? Due to them probably being pvc. Not sure where, but i think i remember saying it. I was firmly on the side of leave them intact. But if at some point the blister even got pierced and storage conditions weren't "correct", the pvc will trap the slightest moisture and contaminants inside and you'll get tarnishing eventually. Stored correctly as in, where and how you generally take care of all your precious silver.

As can happen, the use of one word could have been better picked in that thread. Instead of correctly, let's say sensibly and with awareness when dealing with silver. Because "correctly" is open to opinion with many people having their own preferences for environment/location/containers/accessories for coins. With no combination of choices being more correct than anyone elses. But some basics are agreed and it's those i think that you sensibly take precautions with, when you have decided what you aim to store for long periods.

Air, humidity, heat, cold, chemicals, containers. All manner of ways for these to interact with and affect silver coins. I have a main storage zone for all mine, regardless of capsuled or not, and i don't bother allowing for which of those capsules may be airtite marketed and which aren't. So the "container" i have all the coins in is one i can control the environment inside (to a reasonable point anyway!). Whether you use a safe or big tupperware style boxes. No constant air changes or humidity, and no constant variations from very warm to cold. No cardboard or papers inside (these leach acids over time). No wood or OGP packaging (again, acids, and chemical vapours from the glues holding in all those nice plush interiors), these can be stored normally somewhere else and besides- space will be at a premium inside your coin storage. And plenty of silica gel packs (check from time to time and replace or re-activate).

Just to deflect the ire of the many who will say what the heck is the point if you can't enjoy your coins.... those are the optimum. For me, reserved for those i don't want to take ANY risks with (2014 5oz britannia for instance), and bulk lots i don't need to see for a long time to come. I sure don't keep everything like that. I too have a number of nicely boxed presentation sets which have either come that way or assembled myself and will stay that way and be opened and enjoyed. Being aware of the above though i find myself just altering this or that a little when putting the boxed sets away again.

Anyway, those are just some of my thoughts on good storage. Others might list other things to consider which i didn't think of. And i'm hoping some day to learn the art of quick and snappy posts.

[shortstack]

@swAgger spot on I knew I'd read it as well as seeing on YouTube - lots of helpful info in your post 

[Pete]

12 hours ago, shortstack said:

I read a certain plastic  (pvc) maybe reacts to the silver and causes problems I think @ShadowStack mentioned this subject on one of his YouTube presentations

It's a hugely important issue I feel why buy beautiful silver and risk ruining it and losing value if you store it incorrectly 

I'm sure others here can give you a more specific answer 

SS

The "c" in PVC stands for 'chloride' which in turn is associated with salt - the kind you have on your skin and fingers; sweat no less
Small traces of chloride can react with silver to form silver chloride which is a white substance and may indeed be the problem well know to stackers as the silver pox - milk spots & stains.

When exposed to daylight or heat over time the silver chloride can change and the silver may develop a grey or purplish patina - some folks love it whilst others ( like me ) hate it.

Personally I would stay well away from PVC for silver coin storage as I am not sure of the behaviour of some plastics over the years. Some are stable but others and some paper will gradually release gases or substances that could react badly with silver. Not a problem for gold which is inert.

[kimchi]

Should we expect coin flips from dealers usually be non-PVC, and so safe for storage (with all other precautions taken), or is there perhaps another reason not to 'risk' it?

[Tpbullion]

I use capsules over flips. A lot more durable and reliable. I also use film canisters as ‘tubes’. They are the perfect diameter for florins, also fit shillings and better than that, fit sovereigns in capsules also. You can buy 10 on eBay for a couple of quid! Keeps everything tidy and also the film canisters are pretty much air tight. I can’t guarantee that but the lids fit bloody tight ?.

[sovereignsteve]

3 hours ago, Pete said:

The "c" in PVC stands for 'chloride' which in turn is associated with salt - the kind you have on your skin and fingers; sweat no less
Small traces of chloride can react with silver to form silver chloride which is a white substance and may indeed be the problem well know to stackers as the silver pox - milk spots & stains.

When exposed to daylight or heat over time the silver chloride can change and the silver may develop a grey or purplish patina - some folks love it whilst others ( like me ) hate it.

Personally I would stay well away from PVC for silver coin storage as I am not sure of the behaviour of some plastics over the years. Some are stable but others and some paper will gradually release gases or substances that could react badly with silver. Not a problem for gold which is inert.

The chloride in PVC is nothing like that in salt. The latter is in ionic form (chloride ion) while in PVC it is covalently bound to the hydrocarbon chain and does not react with silver.

The problem with PVC and silver is to do with the plasticisers used to make the PVC soft; without these it is a rigid plastic often used to make window frames for example.

 

[Martlet]

After reading many thread on this subject, here and elsewhere I perplexed by two points.  Firstly the assumption that PVC is used when there are other plastics available, and second that no one seems to know what plastic is in use.  The second is odd as this sort of thing is supposed to be tracked.  I believe that polyethylene is the more common plastic used for packaging these days, so would surmise that's used for blisters and flips.  Some resealable bags I have here are marked with LDPE which is low density polyethylene.  Plastic containers should have the type of plastic for recycling purposes, I've found this is usually polyethylene or polypropylene.