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Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich bags?

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 9:00 am
by aaa30040
That's where mine are now, but don't want to create any problems

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 9:02 am
by shinnosuke
Are they Ziploc, Glad or store brand?

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 9:44 am
by Rodebaugh
Bags with PVC can cause problems for certain metals.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 9:54 am
by Market Harmony
First things first, did you take out the sandwich?

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 10:14 am
by fasteddy
Sandwich bags are for short term storage. Usually a day or two, anymore than that and I am not sure I want to eat the sandwich. We have a sandwich in a sandwich baggie in the refrigerator at work that has been in there for over a month and it looks ok. Cu long term storage who knows, who has kept copper pennies in a baggie for the last thirty years? I live on the gulf coast so we have high humidity...stuff in plastic does not do well here. I like the idea of the container to be able to breathe. However, I do have some Cu pennies in vacuum storage bags and other than losing the vacuum after a year they are still doing well.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 12:27 pm
by aaa30040
shinnosuke wrote:Are they Ziploc, Glad or store brand?


store brand zip top

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 12:28 pm
by aaa30040
Market Harmony wrote:First things first, did you take out the sandwich?


you don't like a silver dime that smells of turkey and swiss?

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 1:43 pm
by shinnosuke
aaa30040 wrote:
shinnosuke wrote:Are they Ziploc, Glad or store brand?


store brand zip top


Good cost control. Spend less on plastic and more on silver. Personally, I would put them in something a bit more rugged...like a pipe inside Mother Earth.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 1:43 pm
by shinnosuke
Rodebaugh wrote:Bags with PVC can cause problems for certain metals.


What about storing them in PVC pipes and burying them?

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 7:38 pm
by Mossy
shinnosuke wrote:
Rodebaugh wrote:Bags with PVC can cause problems for certain metals.


What about storing them in PVC pipes and burying them?

Verdigris. Copper reacts with chlorine.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 7:40 pm
by SilverDragon72
Market Harmony wrote:First things first, did you take out the sandwich?

:lol: WAY FUNNY!!!

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 10:21 pm
by shinnosuke
Mossy wrote:
shinnosuke wrote:
Rodebaugh wrote:Bags with PVC can cause problems for certain metals.


What about storing them in PVC pipes and burying them?

Verdigris. Copper reacts with chlorine.


Uh, oh. But silver/gold is OK?

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 12:28 am
by fansubs_ca
shinnosuke wrote:Uh, oh. But silver/gold is OK?


Silver no because it also reacts with chlorine as well, I would imagine gold
would be OK since gold reacts with almost nothing. There are _some_
exceptions even to that though, for one see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold-alumi ... ermetallic

I had a coin folder I bought over 20 years ago for dimes, it must have had
some PVC in it because the 99.9% nickel dimes were all fine but the few
older silver dimes in it (Canadian 80%silver/20%copper) turned green over
the years.

As for pennies in plastic bags I have some that I saved in the late 80s into
the early 90s and they are OK, but one bag was a "bank bag" that I got
pennies in and the other was the kind of plastic bag that comic book shops
sell for protecting comic books so it must have been a special type of
plastic less likely to leach stuff. I never put any in sandwich bags, though I
find Ziplock bags "feel" like the comic book bags, which doesn't nesseccarily
mean they are the same type of plastic but they could be. Not sure.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:39 pm
by Pachucko
I thought per gov regulations there could be no PVC is food containers, to include sandwich bags??

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 2:55 pm
by wagsthadog
Hi there~

I used to hold mine in ziplocks, and I wasnt worried that they would get funky, just that they got flimsy with all that weight. Ever considered getting flat paper coin tubes? You can get 1000 for about the same price as a box of ziplocks, and they look a lot more professional. Then get a box of whatever denomination coins you have at your local bank and use the empty box to hold your rolls! At least, that's what I do...

jmo, wags

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 2:57 pm
by Engineer
Putting a silver coin in the bag with your sandwich helps to prevent the growth of bacteria. :)

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:41 pm
by jasmatk
I think they would get weak and rip over time.I think this happened to someone here.I recomend using plastic jars from peanut butter,mayo,ect.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:24 pm
by Chief
5 gallon buckets or 55 gallon drum for coppers and plastic coin tubes for silver is how I do it. It does add up to "keep" your coins, but the are safe for years.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:40 pm
by Sterling Silver
Engineer wrote:Putting a silver coin in the bag with your sandwich helps to prevent the growth of bacteria. :)


+1

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:00 pm
by InfleXion
Some really great posts in this one :)

I have been using Ziploc bags for a few years now without issue, but never trusted them enough for anything other than circulated coins.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:02 am
by JadeDragon
Engineer wrote:Putting a silver coin in the bag with your sandwich helps to prevent the growth of bacteria. :)


Copper too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrob ... _of_copper

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:04 pm
by Mossy
Make sure no mayo. Eggs have sulpher in them. Not good for copper.

Re: Is there any problem storing coins in plastic sandwich b

PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:34 pm
by RTPMarine
Ziploc brand bags are made of polyethylene, which is pretty stable with regards to metals. In fact, most hip replacements use it as a casing with an internal metal base (usually titanium). Here is a good article about polyethylene and copper bonding, and how much forced oxidation it takes for the polymer to have an effect on the copper:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00218467808075120#preview

I'd say that zip-loc bags are just fine for storing pennies and nickels, and are at least as good as other plastic tube containers for ASEs and Maple Leafs, etc. In reality, your bag is never going to have a perfect seal so expect small amounts of oxidation on the copper over long terms (10+ years).