Collector Preservation & Care

The global market for rare coins and precious metal bullion is larger and more accessible than ever before. Unfortunately, this growth has been accompanied by a rise in increasingly sophisticated counterfeit coins. While high-end counterfeit operations use advanced metallurgy to fool unsuspecting buyers, the vast majority of fake coins circulating on secondary markets can be identified using basic principles of physics, simple tools, and careful observation. next...

For paper currency collectors, the joy of acquiring a rare, historically significant banknote is often accompanied by an immediate sense of anxiety. Unlike metal coins, which possess a degree of natural resilience, paper money is extraordinarily fragile. Composed primarily of organic materials like cotton, linen, and wood pulp, vintage banknotes are highly vulnerable to the environment around them. Left unprotected, a pristine note can quickly succumb to fading, yellowing, mold, or structural disintegration. next...

It is human nature to be drawn to shiny objects. When someone unearths a century-old silver dollar or inherits a box of darkened, crusty pennies from a grandparent, the immediate psychological impulse is usually to "restore" them to their former glory. Out come the toothbrushes, the baking soda, the jewelry dip, and the polishing cloths. next...