1. Keep it dry
Moisture is the main thing to keep away from silver. Damp air speeds up tarnish, and water marks can stay on a coin's surface. The worst place is anywhere the temperature swings, such as a loft that bakes in summer and freezes in winter, or a garage, because each swing can leave condensation on cold metal.
- Choose a spot with a steady temperature: a cupboard or wardrobe inside the house is better than an outbuilding.
- Keep silver in a sealed container. A case with a gasket round the lid stops damp air drifting in and out.
- Add a silica gel sachet to soak up the moisture that's already inside, and swap or dry it out when it's saturated.
2. Keep sulphur and PVC away from it
Tarnish is silver reacting with sulphur compounds in the air, turning the surface yellow, then brown, then black. You can't stop the air containing them, but you can stop it reaching the metal.
- Capsules are the simplest protection for coins: clear, rigid, and they keep air and fingers off both faces.
- Avoid soft PVC flips and wallets. Over time PVC can leave a sticky green residue on coins, which collectors call PVC damage. If a flip is soft and smells of plastic, don't use it for long-term storage.
- Keep silver away from rubber bands, ordinary paper envelopes and cardboard, which can contain sulphur, and from bare wood such as oak, which can give off acidic vapour.
- Polythene zip bags aren't harmful in themselves, but they aren't airtight for long and coins rub against each other inside them.
3. Handle it as little as possible
Fingerprints carry salt and oil that can etch into a coin's surface. Pick coins up by the edge, or wear nitrile or cotton gloves. Some silver bullion coins also develop white milk spots over time. They're linked to how the coins are made rather than how they're kept, but keeping coins sealed and untouched gives them the best chance.
4. Keep the original packaging
Mint tubes, capsules, blister packs and tamper-evident (TEP) cards all help resale: a buyer can see the piece hasn't been handled. If you'd rather keep things in their packaging, store them in it. Our TEP card storage case and 1g blister case are cut for sealed packs, and the Coin Stacker 60 coin storage box takes most 1oz coins in their capsules.
5. Organise by format
A drawer of loose tubes and capsules is hard to count and easy to scratch. Storing each format in its own slot means nothing rubs, the whole stack can be counted at a glance, and a gap shows straight away if anything is missing. Keep a simple list too, of what you bought, when, and for how much, for insurance and for working out any tax when you sell.
6. Keep it secure
- Tell as few people as possible, and be careful with photos online: a picture of your stack can give away more about where you live than you'd think.
- A safe bolted to the floor or wall is far better than a hiding place. A storage case inside a safe protects the metal; the safe protects the case.
- Check your home insurance. Many contents policies limit how much they'll pay for valuables kept at home, and some exclude bullion unless it's declared. Tell your insurer what you have.
- For a large holding, professional vault storage is worth comparing against the cost of a good safe and the extra insurance.
Common questions
What is the best way to store silver coins?
In capsules or their original packaging, inside a sealed, dry case kept somewhere with a steady temperature, with a silica gel sachet in with them.
Does silver tarnish if it's kept in a box?
It can, if the box lets damp air in or is made of something that gives off sulphur, such as cardboard or some woods. A sealed plastic case with inert materials slows tarnish right down.
Capsules or tubes?
Tubes are cheap and compact for coins you won't look at often, but coins can rub together inside them. Capsules protect each coin separately and let you see both faces without handling it. Many stackers keep tubes for bulk and capsules for the pieces they care about most.
Will my coins fit your boxes?
Most 1oz silver coins fit, bare or in their capsules. Check the size guide for exact measurements, including which capsules fit.