Found out my coin folders were wrecking my best quarters, all because of a rubber band
For the first 2 years of my Washington quarter set I kept everything in those cheap cardboard folders with the little slots, and I thought I was being smart by wrapping a rubber band around the whole thing to keep it shut. About 6 months ago I pulled out my 1976-D and the edge looked dull and gray where it pressed against the rubber, and a guy at a coin shop on Cherry Street in Toledo said the rubber breaks down and gives off something that eats at the metal. He told me the cardboard itself is fine short term but the acid in it slowly turns the coins dark, and a few of my early silver ones already had that hazy look. I swapped the good ones into clear plastic flips and a hard plastic box and the difference after a couple months was obvious, no more mystery marks. I still keep my junk silver in the old folders because honestly I like flipping through them, just no more rubber bands on anything I care about. What are you all using for long term storage, and did anyone else learn this the hard way like I did?