WHITMAN COIN FOLDERS AS COLLECTIBLE ITEMS

Numismatists have long valued the antique wooden coin cabinets of past generations as collectibles in themselves, particularly when such items can be traced to a prominent coin collector. In more recent years the collecting of early or rare certified coin “slabs” has become quite popular, and the most highly sought examples are frequently worth considerably more than the coins they hold. The next logical extension of such collecting is the very coin storage devices that have been partially superseded by certified grading: coin boards, folders, and albums.

I’ve been a devotee of this activity for many years, and through my books, I’ve been able to draw others to the hobby. The time to secure these items is while they are still affordable—and still in existence.

Every year hundreds of coin folders are tossed into the trash without regard to their age or rarity because so few persons perceive them as having any value beyond sheer utility. The majority of these items were produced by Whitman, and the vast numbers printed have led to the assumption that all will remain common for generations.

I can say with certainty that some are already extremely rare, with a few items still eluding my own collection after decades of searching. I’d like to share just a few of the most desirable Whitman rarities in the hope that readers will begin to see them in a different light.

Whitman was the king of coin board manufacturers from 1935 through 1942, these being the very large single-panel holders that typically measure 11” wide by 14” tall. When rival publishers Dansco and Oberwise began to produce smaller, folding coin panels in 1939-40, Whitman soon joined the bandwagon with its own, improved version of this successful coin holder. Debuting very late in 1940, the now-familiar Whitman blue folders were an immediate hit with collectors. The company continued to dominate this market for decades to come, and in their current design, the Whitman folders remain a very popular product.

To read the complete article, see:
Whitman Coin Folders as Collectible Items (https://coinweek.com/coins/supplies/whitman-coin-folders-as-collectible-items/)

To read about Dave's book in an earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: COIN COLLECTING ALBUMS, VOLUME THREE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n25a03.html)

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