A Sparkling Guide to Coin Envelopes: Sizes, Storage, and More

Shipping Small Items

Coin envelopes are too small to ship through regular mail, but you can use them to separate different small items in a larger package. Small items can go inside a coin envelope first for added protection before placing the item in a larger shipping envelope or package.

Tips

Restaurants, barbershops, and any service industry that receives tips and gratuity often store these tips inside a coin envelope. They help keep coins and bills together and help separate individual tips amongst a team.

Gifts

Coin envelopes are perfect for gift cards and giving money as a gift. Use coin envelopes on their own or add one to a regular size birthday card.

Technology

Coin envelopes are optimal for housing small technological devices such as flash drives and SD cards. They will protect these items from moisture damage or too much handling. You can also label the envelopes, so you know exactly what is stored on your USB drive or SD card.

Medical Samples

Coin envelopes are often used to store medical samples in a laboratory setting, as long as the samples don’t require a high level of security. If you’re a doctor or scientist considering utilizing this method to store and transport small samples, don’t forget to label or customize your envelope.

And, as strange as it sounds, dentists often use coin envelopes to store teeth! 

Craft Supplies

Beads, sequins, stickers, glitter, you name it! Coin envelopes can hold the tiniest of craft supplies to keep your crafting area organized. Label all of your envelopes, so you always know what’s inside each one before you open it. You don’t want to open an envelope thinking there are stickers inside when it’s actually storing a mound of glitter.

Collectibles

You can use coin envelopes for small collectible items. They are the perfect size for storing and sharing collectors’ cards, such as baseball cards or Pokémon cards. They’re also the ideal size for—you guessed it—collectible coins.

Plant Seeds

Coin envelopes will keep all of your plant seeds separated. You can label each envelope for the type of seed stored within, the year you purchased them, or the year you dried them. For best results, store each of your seed envelopes in an airtight container or mason jar.

Jewelry

Jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings, will fit into coin envelopes. Pawnshops and jewelry stores often use coin envelopes in this fashion. Use them to pass on handmade jewelry, or to store your own when you’re on the move. The separate envelopes will keep your jewelry strings from tangling when you travel, and keep an earring set securely together.

Keys

Keep track of keys with coin envelopes. When duplicate keys are made, a coin envelope can store the extra copies. When you give someone a new key, the coin envelope will help make sure it’s not lost in transit or misplaced before it makes it to the right keyring holder. Coin envelopes can also be used to store extra keys in the home. Since the envelope is larger than a key, it will be harder to misplace. You can even use the paper envelope to write down what the key opens. Say goodbye to that jar full of mystery keys!

Can You Mail Coin Envelopes?

Generally, the answer is no. Coin envelopes are much too small to send through the mail. USPS says the smallest letter envelope mailing size is 3-1/2 x 5 inches, and the maximum is 6-1/8 x 11-1/2 inches. Most coin envelopes are too small to qualify as a regular letter. That being said, there are a couple of extra-large coin envelopes that do fit within those dimensions. See the Coin Envelope Size Chart below for reference.

Even if you have a large enough envelope, you shouldn’t send coins in the mail as they are too thick to meet letter envelope size guidelines at a maximum of 0.007 inches. Coins and any hard objects sent through the mail may damage mail sorting equipment. There’s also a risk of the envelope ripping as it moves through processing equipment.

Coin Folders

Coin folders house and protect collectible coins in the same place. Many are themed to fit specific sets of collectible coins.

They come with holes crafted to fit the precise measurements of coins, gripping them so that none will fall out of place once secured inside. Many coin folders also come with dates or descriptions underneath each hole signifying where each coin belongs.

Coin folders fold out, enabling collectors to make each page of the folder visible. Once the coins are finished being displayed, the coin folder folds back up, allowing it to be conveniently stored almost anywhere, whether that be on a shelf, in a drawer, or in a suitcase.

A downside to coin folders is that they only allow one side of the coin to be viewed at a time, and typically only come with three to four pages. There is also nothing keeping the elements or individuals from touching and perhaps damaging your collectibles.

Photo Source

Coin Album

A coin album is very similar to a coin folder, with a few notable improvements.

Coin albums are larger than coin folders, which allow them to store more coins. While coin folders only have a three or four-page capacity, some coin albums can store hundreds of coins at once. Another advantage is, while stored in the album, both sides of the coins are visible. There is also a plastic insert that covers both sides of the coins, keeping them safe from fingerprints and damaging air particles.

If you collect a great deal of coins and want them all housed, protected, and viewable in the same place, a coin album is your ideal solution.

Photo Source