How to store your coins like the Imperial Hoard

When it comes to storing coins, you’ll find a thousand opinions online — and most of them overcomplicate something that’s really very simple. At Imperial Hoard, we’ve experimented with just about every method you can think of: coin flips, albums, plastic capsules, vacuum-sealed bags, you name it.

After years of trial, error, and a fair few corroded edges later, we’ve boiled it down to one clear philosophy:

👉 Keep your coins dry, dark, and away from plastic.

That’s it. Forget whatever the forums or self-proclaimed experts tell you about fancy acrylic capsules or “museum-grade” plastics. Plastic is rubbish for long-term preservation — it traps microscopic moisture, emits chemicals as it ages, and creates exactly the kind of environment that tarnishes your coins slowly and silently over time.

Below, we’ll take you through the Imperial Hoard approach to coin storage — practical, proven, and designed to protect your coins for decades.

1. Start With the Environment: Dry and Dark

Coins are metal, and metal reacts. That’s chemistry, not opinion.
Your goal is to minimise the three main enemies: moisture, light, and pollutants.

- Moisture causes corrosion and spotting.
- Light, especially UV, can alter toning and surface colour.
- Pollutants (airborne chemicals, sulphur compounds, etc.) accelerate tarnishing.

So, before you even start choosing storage systems, ask yourself:
Where are your coins sitting right now?

If they’re anywhere near a radiator, window, or damp wall — stop reading and move them.
The ideal environment for coin storage is a cool, dry, and dark place, ideally with minimal temperature fluctuation. Think inside a solid cupboard, a closed drawer, or a safe kept away from external walls.

If your collection lives in a safe, make sure it’s not airtight without desiccants. Closed environments trap moisture unless you actively control it. That’s where silica gel moisture sachets come in (we’ll get to those later).

2. Ditch the Plastic — Seriously

This one can’t be said enough: plastic ruins coins.
PVC flips? Disaster.
Cheap coin capsules? They off-gas chemicals as they age.
“Archival” plastic sleeves from eBay? Good luck verifying what’s actually in that polymer mix.

Plastic holds microscopic moisture, creates condensation in changing temperatures, and releases hydrochloric acid as it breaks down — all of which react with the metal surfaces of your coins.

So if you’ve been told by a dealer or a forum that plastic is fine — it’s not.
And yes, that includes so-called “acid-free” PVC.

Our golden rule:
Zero plastic. Ever.

Instead, we use paper-based, acid-free systems — the same kind used by museums and national archives — which are chemically inert and breathable, allowing your coins to exist in a stable microclimate. 

3. The Rolls-Royce of Coin Preservation

For serious collectors and dealers who handle hundreds (or even thousands) of coins, we only recommend one supplier:
Preservation Equipment Ltd: https://www.preservationequipment.com/

These guys are, without exaggeration, the Rolls-Royce of preservation.
They supply museums, archives, and professional institutions that handle delicate historical materials. Their coin boxes and envelopes are the best we’ve ever used — and we use them exclusively at Imperial Hoard.

Here’s how they describe their system:
“The acid free coin storage system is suitable for safe long term storage of up to 240 coins in envelopes or sleeves. Also suitable for medals, slides, badges, stamps and other small items. Complete coin archiving system protecting from corrosion and other damage caused by incorrect storage materials.”

These guys are **the best of the best** — truly museum-level storage solutions. Their archival boxes, envelopes, and preservation materials are what the professionals use to store rare artefacts, coins, medals, and historic documents. They are the “daddys” of coin storage.

4. Plastazote Sheets and Metal Drawers

If you’re cataloguing large volumes of coins — especially for photography or sale — the combination of Plastazote sheets and metal drawers is unbeatable.

We use **Bisley metal drawers** for our working collections. They’re solid, smooth-running, and excellent value — the perfect medium-tier storage solution before stepping up to full archival-grade systems.
Bisley Link: https://www.bisley.com/shop/

Plastazote is a high-quality, inert foam used in archival storage. It’s firm but non-abrasive, meaning your coins stay in place without pressure or contact damage. Each sheet can be cut or fitted into metal drawer systems, creating a tidy, professional layout that also looks fantastic for internal records.

For the ultimate long-term preservation setup, though, we use the archival-grade metal drawers from **Preservation Equipment Ltd** (https://www.preservationequipment.com/). These are the same quality used in museum vaults — zero off-gassing, temperature stable, and chemically inert. In short, Bisley is great, but Preservation Equipment drawers are **next level**.

This setup is ideal if you’re photographing your collection before cataloguing or selling. The coins sit perfectly flat, can be easily labelled, and remain accessible for inspection without constant handling.

5. Moisture Control – Silica Gel Sachets

Even with perfect storage, humidity is your silent enemy.

Every collector should have one thing in abundance: silica gel moisture sachets.
They’re cheap, easy to replace, and incredibly effective.

We throw them everywhere — in safes, in drawers, in boxes, and even inside larger coin envelopes if we’re storing bulk material. These sachets absorb residual moisture and prevent condensation during temperature changes (like warm days and cool nights).

It’s not rocket science: keep things dry, and your coins stay happy.
Just remember to replace them every few months, especially in winter or if your storage area isn’t climate-controlled.

6. Storage Boxes and Fire Protection

Now that your coins are protected from air, light, and moisture, let’s talk about physical security.

You don’t need an ego-sized safe to protect your collection. In fact, small, discreet safes or fire chests are often more practical — and less likely to draw attention.

We rate the **Yale Waterproof Fire Chest (Large)** from **Safe.co.uk** (https://www.safe.co.uk/products/yale-waterproof-fire-chest-large.html) as the best option on the market for collectors who want protection without hassle.

Safe.co.uk are brilliant — they create **amazing fire chests** that are far more practical than traditional safes. We actually prefer a **fire chest** over a safe because they’re **lightweight, easily movable**, and most importantly, **don’t look like safes**. They blend into a room, don’t draw attention, and yet offer serious protection against both fire and water.

Here’s why we recommend them:
- Fireproof and waterproof protection.
- Fits up to four of the Preservation Equipment coin boxes (each holding nearly 100 coins).
- Discreet design that doesn’t scream “valuables inside.”
- Can be fixed to one location for added security.
- Portable and simple — no huge installations or heavy lifting.

Fill the chest with your coin boxes, add a few silica gel sachets, and you’ve got a fully sealed, moisture-controlled, fire-resistant storage system that’s easily hidden and exceptionally safe.

You can explore their full range of options here: https://www.safe.co.uk/

 

7. Keep It Simple – The Imperial Rulebook

At Imperial Hoard, we’ve seen every mistake imaginable:
- Coins wrapped in cling film or celotape!!
- Albums that reek of PVC.
- Capsules sealed so tight they trap condensation.
- Collections stored in lofts where summer heat destroys toning within weeks.

And the sad truth is: those coins will never recover their original surface once damaged.

So, our rulebook for long-term storage is as simple as it gets:

1. Dry: Always use silica gel and keep storage in a stable, low-humidity environment.
2. Dark: No UV or sunlight exposure, ever.
3. No Plastic: Only acid-free, inert materials.
4. Metal & Paper: Metal drawers, acid-free envelopes, coin boxes.
5. Secure: Store in a discreet, fireproof safe or chest.
6. Accessible: Design your setup so you can inspect and photograph without excessive handling.

Do that, and your coins will outlast you — literally.

8. Final Thoughts

Coin collecting is about preservation as much as passion.
Every coin tells a story, and your job as a collector is to protect that story for the next generation. Whether you’re curating Roman bronzes, Victorian crowns, or modern proofs, the principles don’t change: keep it dry, dark, and chemical-free.

Forget the fancy capsules, ignore the “PVC-safe” marketing, and focus on the basics.
At Imperial Hoard, this is the method we use for every single coin we handle — from common sixpences to five-figure rarities. It works. It’s simple. And it’s how you keep your coins exactly as they were meant to be seen.

In summary:
✅ Dry.
✅ Dark.
✅ Zero Plastic.
✅ Acid-Free Boxes.
✅ Fireproof Storage.
✅ Silica Gel Always.

That’s how you store coins — the Imperial Hoard way.