Question for Coin Collectors

[IMJ]

Hopefully the great group here can give me some insight regarding the foam slab inserts for coin slabs.

Does anyone have any input, tutorial, suggestions for cutting uncut, solid inserts? A special tool for making a clean hole? A process?

Basically, I've got three extremely awkwardly shaped ancient (ANCIENT) Roman coins that I'm slabbing. I bought some slabs and some blank inserts and I'd like the coins to sit firmly in the insert when I cut them. The coins are not true, and they are of varying thicknesses.

Any input about this might be helpful...

[BruceReville]

My girlfriend collects coins from that era and she does a nest thing where she has a shadow box that she displays her coins in with a small bit of history about them. She takes the standard plastic coin case (Depending on the coin depends on what case she uses. She inserts a piece of felt inside the plastic case where the coin sits and that keeps it from moving and then hot glues the case inside the shadow boxe. So far she a few older English coins from 1200-1250 and a crusader coin from King James of Cyprus. I almost got her a Jerusalem Roman coin back from the time of Christ, but was sniped at the last second.

[IMJ]

That's super cool, but has she found a great way to actually cut the foam inserts when they are uncut? Mine are blank and have no coin hole - I ordered them that way expressly to cut them for my coins. I figured the coin collectors would have a method other than "Trace the coin shape and use an exacto knife" kind of thing...

[BruceReville]

That's super cool, but has she found a great way to actually cut the foam inserts when they are uncut? Mine are blank and have no coin hole - I ordered them that way expressly to cut them for my coins. I figured the coin collectors would have a method other than "Trace the coin shape and use an exacto knife" kind of thing...

Pretty much that's about it - I don't recommend circular blades on foam as it has a tendency to snag and tear the foam making it less appealing visually.

[IMJ]

I've also seen some inserts that have 4 "tabs" on the inner diameter of the coin slit... here's an example:



It'd be nice to do this, but I'm not sure if these were cut by hand or what.

[BruceReville]

Prefab - but you run into the problem that unless your coin is symmetrical that it won't work. Most coins from that era do have alot of wear and warping so unless it was pristine it probably wouldn't work.