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Monster boxes and tubes: how bullion actually ships
Eagles travel in tubes and mint boxes. Sealed is nice. Opened is still metal. Count, then argue about the box.
A “monster box” is a mint box of tubes of Eagles. It looks official. It is still a pile of coins.
Sealed vs opened
Sealed from a source we trust saves time. Opened means we count and we spot-check. That is not an insult. Fakes.
Do not break a seal on the way over to “make sure.” If you already did, say so.
Count
500 eagles is 500 eagles only after somebody counts 500 eagles. Short boxes happen. So do extra papers and empty holes.
Premium
A full original box can bring a little more than 500 loose. A beat-up box with spots is still 500 ounces of eagle. Milk spots. Government vs generic.
Call ahead before you bring a box. That is a lot of cash.
Part of the coin shop counter wiki · visitors & collectors · NumisQ Learn
Extra pad history for monster boxes and tubes
The Mint and the big distributors pack bullion in tubes, then in boxes, because that is how you move hundreds of ounces without a loose pile. A “monster box” looks official. It is still a pile of coins. Seals save time when we trust the source. Seals are not a sacrament. Short boxes happen. So do extra papers and empty holes.
People break a seal in the car to “make sure.” Then they bring us an opened box and a story. Say so. We will count anyway.
What the shop does with a box
We count. 500 Eagles is 500 Eagles only after somebody counts 500 Eagles. We spot-check weight and look. Fakes are more of a bar problem, but opened boxes still get a look. Milk spots can live in a sealed box. Annoying. Still a box of Eagles.
A full original box can bring a little more than 500 loose. A beat-up box with spots is still 500 ounces of a government coin. Call ahead. That is a lot of cash. Payment may be check or wire. Do not dump the tubes on the pad like popcorn. We will still be decent. The count will just take longer.
People also ask
Should I open the box before I come? No. If you already did, say so.
Do spots kill a monster-box bid? Usually not on common bullion Eagles.
Is an empty hole a big deal? It is a missing ounce. We count what is there.
Will you buy a mixed-year box? Yes. We count ounces first, then any year that is actually collected.