Personal Experience: Why Storing Proof Coins in Holders Can Damage Them

The Beginning of the Hobby and Early Collection Storage Methods

The story of this numismatic experience began back in the 90s, during my school years. The foundation of the collection at that time was Soviet commemorative coins in standard circulation quality and various foreign coins. At that time, the collection consisted of about ten Soviet commemorative rubles and several dozen coins from other countries.

At that time, there were no special albums for storage, so all the coins were kept in ordinary jars. Later, a more creative solution was found for more valuable specimens, such as old silver and copper coins — they were placed in the round slots of chocolate boxes.

Revival of the Hobby and Discovering the World of Proof Coins

Many years later, about 10-12 years ago, the passion for collecting was rekindled. The trigger was a chance discovery in a stationery store — they were selling Optima-format sheets for album coin storage. By purchasing a few of these sheets, I was able to organize the old collection, which gave the hobby a new impetus.

By that time, the collection had been expanded with Russian bimetallic ten-ruble coins, issued since 2000. It was also then that I first encountered Soviet commemorative rubles in Proof quality. The appearance of these coins was very impressive: the contrast between the frosted relief and the perfectly mirrored field looked stunning.

Some coins, for example, the set of 1, 3, and 5 rubles for the 70th anniversary of the October Revolution, were purchased in their original bank packaging and immediately moved into secure plastic capsules, which protected them from external elements.

Choosing Holders and the First Signs of a Problem

As the collection of Soviet commemorative Proof coins began to grow, the question of their presentation and storage arose. The choice fell on cardboard holders and special album pages from the Leuchtturm company, known as the 'Matrix' system. In the end, almost three of these pages were filled, and the result was very pleasing at first.

However, over time, changes began to appear on the coins stored in holders. They started to develop a patina, and it was uneven, mostly around the edges. In most cases, it was a golden patina, but other tones also appeared.

The Cause of the Coin Damage and the Main Conclusion

When it was time to move the coins from holders to capsules, the true reason for their damage was revealed. It turned out that on many holders, the top layer had peeled off over time, especially near the special tab used for removal. This led to a loss of airtightness.

Due to air getting under the holder's film, the coins began to oxidize, which caused the uneven patina to appear. The appearance of the partially patinated Proof coins became, to put it mildly, not very attractive, which diminished my interest in this part of the collection.

This experience clearly demonstrates the risks of different storage methods.

Thus, personal experience has shown that cardboard holders are not a reliable option for the long-term storage of valuable Proof coins. Their use can lead to the loss of the original appearance of collectible specimens.