With a flatbed scanner you can "photograph" your coin collection even through their plastic holders.

You do not need to remove the coin from the safety of its plastic holder.

Here are actual scans of both sides of the coins. We simply put up about 12 or 15 coins (enough to fill a letter size sheet) on the flatbed scanner. Pressed the GO button, and all dozen coins were "photographed."

We then photographed the other side. This was the only way to have a complete record, for insurance, to get better estimates, and to make sure no one switched the coins on us with slight of hand.

We then printed all dozen coins out on a page, and formed all 150 pages into a bound booklet. We sent the booklets to key coin companies. That way they realized it was worth their time and their money to come to us to bid on the coins. Prior to having the album, the coin dealers tried to have us send them the entire collection.

We would have had no control over scratches, fingerprints, or switching of key coins by an unethical salesman.

We used MagicScan (1998); if we did the scanning again today we would prefer to use SilverFast scanning software. We were more than content with the quality of the Umax scanner. If we had needed a larger bed perhaps today we would opt for the Epson 836XL flatbed scanner (but definitely with SilverFast software).

If SilverFast is not bundled with the scanner, don't worry, you can buy it afterwards separately, directly from LaserSoft Imaging (the company that makes it, SilverFast.com).