Protecting your coins properly is the key to preserving them for decades and keeping the value of your coins intact.
That is why finding the right holder for your coins is important.
There are many different kinds of protective coin holders available to the coin collector and investor, but perhaps one of the best is what is called an “Air-Tite” holder.
About Air-Tite Coin Holders
Let me here disclose that I have no connection to, affiliation with, or interest in the company whatsoever.
Air-Tite holders are plastic, circular holders that are a few millimeters or so larger in diameter than the coin designed to be placed within.
Some Air-Tites contain a foam ring insert which function as a collar to be placed around the coin; others are designed to simply hold the coin itself.
Air-Tites Offer Superb Protection For Your Coins
All Air-Tites consist of 2 interlocking flat, clear plastic dishes which enclose the coin. All Air-Tites are virtually “air-tight,” and are inert, so they will not react with the coin’s metal.
It is the matter of air-tightness and the composition of a holder’s material that often create the most problems during coin storage. Unlike Air-Tites, many coin holders do not restrict air flow and, thus, airborne contaminates as well as moisture. Also, many holders are made with materials that can harm or discolor coins over the period of months and years.
Some Air-Tite coin holders can be purchased for less than a dollar each. There are storage boxes and cards designed to conveniently hold and organize many Air-Tite holders.
The Downside Of Air-Tite Coin Holders
Every type of coin holder has pros and cons.
Air-Tite holders may be neither expensive nor dangerous for your coins, but they can be a little difficult for the collector who wants to present coins in a neat, arranged, organized display. This is especially the case for those who collect whole series of coins date by date.
Think about the challenge (and cost) of buying hundreds of Air-Tite holders for each specimen of a complete Lincoln cent set versus the cost and neat organization of putting all those coins in one coin album.
However, very few products offer the level of protection that Air-Tite does for housing expensive coins that deserve the safety of an inert, air-tight holder.
Most coin dealers — both those online and in physical stores — offer Air-Tite holders. Air-Tites.com also offers a wide variety of Air-Tite holders.
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
