Coin container and display device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include a method and apparatus for holding and/or displaying one or more collectible items. The one or more collectible items may include one or more coins. The apparatus may comprise a display card having at least one aperture therethrough and at least one container within the at least one aperture wherein the at least one container is capable of containing the at least one collectible item, and wherein the at least one container is rotatable within the at least one aperture relative to the display card and the at least one collectible item is removable from the display device without damaging or destroying any portion of the display device.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Generally, embodiments of the present invention relate to a container for one or more collectible items. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a container for displaying and/or holding a coin. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention relate to a display card for displaying and/or holding one or more coins disposed within one or more containers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Display devices are commonly utilized for storing and displaying collector's items such as coins, medals, stamps, or tokens. Particularly, coin storing and displaying devices are often employed to hold and display coins.

Display devices for coins are attractive for coin collectors because coins disposed in these devices are often valuable, and the display device is employed by the collector to protect and prevent the coins from experiencing scratches, nicks, or other damage. At the same time, the display device allows viewing of the coins located therein without the viewer directly handling the coins themselves, thereby permitting viewing of the coins without subjecting the coins to damage.

A typical display device for coins includes a display card and at least one coin holder for encapsulating the coins. Several disadvantages inhere in the various types of display devices which are currently available.

Some display devices do not allow viewing of the entire coin from both sides of the coin. A display device which permits viewing of the entire coin from both sides is desirable to completely display the coin for inspection by the viewer.

It is sometimes desirable to remove the coins from the display device for inspection or to insert a different coin into the display device. To remove the coins therefrom, many display devices require the performance of cumbrous tasks, such as completely disassembling the display device by removing screws or other fastening members holding the display device together. The display device must then be re-assembled by performing these same tasks to re-insert a coin into the coin holder. These display devices also often provide interconnected compartments for holding the coins, so that removing or inserting a single coin could expose the other coins to damage at the same time.

The coin holders of some typical display devices include several components which add expense and complexity to the display device. For example, some coin holders include a disc member within the coin holder which actually holds the coin.

Typical display devices do not allow the coin to rotate with respect to the display card while the coin remains protected by the coin holder. Therefore, current display devices fail to permit rotational manipulation of the coin after its placement into the display device to allow the user to orient the coin face upright or at another desired orientation with respect to the display device. Commonly utilized coin holders do not provide protection for the coin while still permitting the coin to be rotated with respect to the display card. Ultimately, permitting orientation of the coin while the coin remains protected within the coin holder is important for customer satisfaction. Additionally, currently-available display devices do not hold the coin stationary with respect to the coin holder when the coin is located within the coin holder to prevent the coin from being damaged by moving contact with the coin holder.

The ability to orient the coin while the coin remains within the display device is important for at least one reason in addition to customer satisfaction. Namely, to provide a consistently pleasing coin orientation relative to the display card for all coin holders on the display card, manufacturing costs tend to rise to ensure quality for display devices.

Several currently-used display devices disadvantageously utilize an adhesive or other tacky substance to either adhere together pieces of the coin holder to enclose the coin therein, to adhere the coin holder to the display card, or to adhere the coin to the coin holder. Adhering the coin to the coin holder could damage the valuable collectible coin by leaving the tacky substance on the coin and does not allow simple temporary or permanent removal of the coin from the display device for inspection and/or replacement. Adhering the coin holder to the display card does not allow rotation of the coin holder relative to the display card and does not allow temporary or permanent removal of the coin from the display device for its inspection and/or replacement. Adhering the coin holder pieces together does not allow temporary or permanent removal of the coin from the coin holder after its encapsulation into the coin holder without causing damage to the coin holder.

Other currently-used devices permanently encapsulate the coin within the display device, thereby limiting the ability to manipulate the coin subsequent to its insertion into the display device. For example, some display devices which are currently available include coin holders permanently disposed within one or more display card components. Particularly, prior art devices do not permit removal of the coin from the display device after the coin has been placed in the display device while also allowing the orientation of the coin to be manipulated while the coin remains protected within the display device.

It is therefore desirable to provide a display device for one or more collectible items such as coins which permits the user to manipulate the orientation of the collectible item(s) without destroying or damaging the display device, while also allowing the user to remove collectible item(s) from or insert collectible item(s) into the display device without destroying or damaging the display device or the collectible item(s). It is further desirable that the display device secure and protect the collectible item(s) while the item(s) are located within the display device.

It is also desirable to provide a display device for one or more collectible items which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is further desirable to provide a display device for collectible items which is easily manipulated by the user to insert and remove the collectible items and to change the orientation of the items relative to a display card.

It is further desirable to provide a display device for coins which does not utilize a permanent encapsulation method such as screws or an adhesive or other tacky material to keep the coin in place within the display device or within the coin holder.

It is further desirable to provide a display device for coins which allows the viewer to view both sides of the coins while the coins are disposed within the display device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a display device for one or more collectible items which permits the user to rotate one or more of the collectible items relative to the display device while the collectible items remain protected within the display device. It is a further object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a display device which also allows the one or more collectible items to be removed from the display device after the coin has been inserted into the display device.

It is a yet further object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a display device which accomplishes the aforementioned goals without damaging the display device or the collectible item disposed therein upon removal of the collectible item from the display device.

It is a further object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a display device which accomplishes the aforementioned goals while displaying all aspects of the collectible item disposed in the display device.

It is an additional object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a display device comprising a collectible item container and a display card, wherein the collectible item container is rotatable relative to the display card but the collectible item is not rotatable relative to the container.

It is a further object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a display device which releasably and securely retains a collectible item therein without utilizing any adhesive or other tacky substance and without utilizing screws or other external fastening devices. Specifically, an object of embodiments of the present invention is to provide the display device wherein the container for the collectible item is not adhered or screwed to the display card, wherein the coin is not adhered or screwed to the container, and wherein portions of the container are not adhered or screwed to one another.

In one aspect, the collectible item is a planar item having opposing faces, such as a coin, medal, stamp, or token.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a collectible item container including a lid member and a base member, showing the relationship of the container to a display card and a collectible item.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the lid member of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the base member of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the base member of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a back perspective view of the display card of FIG. 1 showing the base member of the container placed in an aperture in the display card.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the display card of FIG. 1 showing the lid member of the container placed on the aperture in the display card.

FIG. 6 is a downward view of a back of the display card and container of FIG. 1, with a collectible item disposed in the container.

FIG. 7 is a downward view of a front of the display card and container of FIG. 1, with a collectible item disposed in the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/688,471 entitled “Coin Display Folder” and filed Jun. 8, 2005 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Embodiments of the present invention include a display device for holding and displaying one or more collectible items. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a container for holding and displaying one or more collectible items. Further embodiments of the present invention include methods for using the container and the display device. The container and display device provide an archival safe housing for the one or more collectible items, protecting the collectible item(s) from dust, moisture, and ambient air as well as from physical damage.

FIG. 1 shows a display device 100 characteristic of embodiments of the present invention. The display device 100 includes a display card 50 and a container 5. The container 5 is utilized to releasably retain a collectible item therein. In FIGS. 1-7, the collectible item is shown as a coin 15; however, it is understood that the collectible item may include a medal, token, stamp, or any other planar item having opposing faces in lieu of the coin. If the collectible item is a coin 15, the coin 15 may include any type of coin, including but not limited to a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, or golden dollar.

The display card 50 is generally planar with a front side 51 and a back side 52 (see FIG. 4). The front side 51 and/or the back side 52 may have graphics, such as design or lettering, printed thereon. Within the display card 50 is an aperture 55 extending through the front side 51 and the back side 52. The aperture 55 is preferably die-cut into the display card 50.

Although the display card 50 is shown as a thin, card-like member, it may be of any thickness. The display card 50 may be constructed from any material, including but not limited to cardboard, paper, plastic, metal, or wood. The shape of the display card 50 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as generally square, but it is within the scope of embodiments of the present invention that the display card 50 may be of any shape, including but not limited to rectangular, circular, oval, or triangular.

The container 5 includes a lid member 10 and a base member 20. Preferably, although not necessarily, when the container 5 is in the closed position around the display card 50 (described below), the lid member 10 is disposed on the front side 51 of the display card 50 and the base member 20 is disposed on the back side 52 of the display card 50. In an alternate embodiment, the base member 20 is disposed on the front side 51 of the display card 50 and the lid member 10 is disposed on the back side 52 of the display card 50. In any case, the coin 15 may be disposed between the base member 20 and the lid member 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lid member 10 has a generally circular body including a generally circular base 14. A first end 16A of a sidewall 16 intersects with an outer circumference of the base 14, and the sidewall 16 extends upward from the first end 16A to its second end 16B. A flange 13 extends outward from the second end 16B of the sidewall 16. The base 14 and the flange 13 are generally coaxial with one another and generally extend parallel to one another, while the sidewall 16 is generally perpendicular to the flange 13 and the base 14. The sidewall 16 and base 14 cooperate to form an at least substantially circular first cavity 11 within the lid member 10. Preferably, the sidewall 16 is at least slightly angled inward at its second end 16B so that the second end 16B is disposed further inward than the first end 16A. This angled disposition of the sidewall 16 allows the base member 20 (see FIG. 3) to snap into the lid member 10 so that the base member 20 and lid member 10 cooperate to remain together absent exerting force to remove the lid and base members 10 and 20 from one another, as described below.

The lid member 10 may possess any dimensions which permit the base member 20 and lid member 10 to snap together to hold a coin 15 (see FIG. 1) or other collectible item stationary relative to the container 5. When the coin 15 is a nickel, the lid member 10 is most preferably approximately 0.97 inches in inner diameter, as measured within the inside surface of the second end 16B of the sidewall 16. Also when the coin 15 is a nickel, the lid member 10 most preferably measures approximately 0.14 inches from the upper surface of the first flange 13 to the lower surface of the base 14.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the base member 20 includes a generally circular body including a generally circular base 17. The base 17 of the base member 20 is smaller in outer diameter than the base 14 of the lid member 10 to allow the base 17 to fit within the base 14, as described below. Extending upward from an outer circumference of the base 17 is an inner sidewall 21. A first end 21A of the inner sidewall 21 is operatively connected to the outer circumference of the base 17. The inner sidewall 21 extends from the first end 21A upward to a second end 21B. The inner sidewall 21 and the base 17 cooperate to form a second cavity 23 into which the coin 15 or other collectible item snaps into place (described below). The inner sidewall 21 and the base 17 are generally perpendicular to one another; however, most preferably the inner sidewall 21 is angled inward from the base 17 so that the inner diameter of the inner sidewall 21 at its second end 21B is smaller than the inner diameter of the inner sidewall 21 at its first end 21A. This angled nature of the inner sidewall 21 allows the inner sidewall 21 to retainer the coin 15 or other collectible item therein upon placement of the collectible item into the second cavity 23, which is described in more detail below.

The second end 21B of the inner sidewall 21 is connected to a first end 18A of a bridge 18. The bridge 18 is generally perpendicular to the inner sidewall 21 and extends generally parallel to and coaxial with the base 17. A second end 18B of the bridge 18 intersects with a second end 22B of an outer sidewall 22, and the outer sidewall 22 extends downward from the second end 22B to a first end 22A. The first end 22A of the outer sidewall 22 is connected to a flange 19 which extends outward from the outer sidewall 22. The flange 19 is generally coaxial with and parallel to the base 17 and the bridge 18. The outer sidewall 22 is disposed generally perpendicular to the bridge 18, flange 19, and base 17 and is generally parallel to and coaxial with the inner sidewall 21. However, in a preferable embodiment, the outer sidewall 22 angles inward from the bridge 18 to the flange 19, so that the outer diameter of the outer sidewall 22 is smaller at the first end 22A than at the second end 22B. This angled outer sidewall 22 permits the inner diameter of the sidewall 16 of the lid member 10 to releasably snap around the outer diameter of the outer sidewall 22 of the base member 20. The angles of the sidewalls 16 and 22 cooperate with one another to retain the coin 15 therein when the lid member 10 and base member 20 are snapped into place.

Although any dimensions which render the base member 20 capable of retaining the coin 15 when snapped into the lid member 10 are within the scope of embodiments of the present invention, when a nickel is the coin 15, the inner diameter of the second cavity 23 at the second end 21B of the inner sidewall 21 is preferably approximately 0.83 inches. Similarly, the outer diameter of the bridge 18 at its second end 18B measures preferably, although not necessarily, approximately 1.13 inches.

The lid member 10 and the base member 20 are preferably constructed from a generally transparent, semi-rigid plastic material, although in other embodiments, the lid member 10 and/or base member 20 may be of one or more colors or may be constructed from another type of rigid or semi-rigid material known to those skilled in the art. Most preferably, the lid and base members 10 and 20 are constructed from a 0.010-inch polyethylene terepthalate (“PET”) sheet.

Several processes known by those skilled in the art which are utilized for manufacturing plastic material, or any other rigid or semi-rigid material, are usable to manufacture the lid and base members 10 and 20 of embodiments of the present invention. The preferred process for making the lid and base members 10, 20, however, is thermoforming or vacuum forming. In this process, each of the lid and base members 10, 20 is obtained by forming a hot, thermoplastic sheet over or into a shaped mold using a vacuum to draw the plastic against the mold.

In operating the container 5 to releasably retain the coin 15 (or other collectible item), the coin 15 (or other collectible item) is first inserted into the second cavity 23 of the base member 20. Preferably, the back face of the coin 15 faces the base 17 so that the front face of the coin 15 faces the lid member 10 (see description below). Because the inner sidewall 21 of the base member 20 is angled inward, the coin 15 snaps within the second cavity 23 and is retained therein by the second end 21B of the inner sidewall 21. If desired, the coin 15 may be removed from the second cavity 23 after it is snapped into place, for example, by the user pressing on the base 17 in one direction while pressing on the bridge 18 in another direction, the directions generally opposite from one another.

After the coin 15 is snapped into the base member 20, the lid member 10 is placed coaxial with the base member 20. The inner diameter of the sidewall 16 of the lid member 10 and the outer diameter of the inner sidewall 21 of the base member 20 are placed in contact with one another, and the base member 20 and lid member 10 are snapped into one another so that the inner sidewall 21 and sidewall 16 run side-by-side. When the base member 20 and lid member 10 are snapped into place, the flanges 13 and 19 are in contact with one another so that the flange 13 rests above the flange 19. Additionally, when the base and lid members 20 and 10 are snapped into place to form the container 5, the bridge 18 and the base 14 are in contact with one another so that the base 14 rests above the bridge 18.

When the container 5 is formed by snapping the base and lid members 20 and 10 into one another, the coin 15 is directly and completely bounded by the base 14 of the lid member 10 as well as the inner sidewall 21 and base 17 of the base member 20. In this way, the coin 15 is completely protected from damage, e.g., scratching or denting. The coin 15 is retained in a pocket formed by the cooperation of the first cavity 11 and the second cavity 23 with one another.

The container 5 and coin 15 act as a unit when the coin 15 is placed within the assembled container 5. The coin 15 and container 5 remain generally stationary relative to one another, even upon manipulation of the container 5. At the same time, the coin 15, lid member 10, and base member 20 are releasable from one another to allow relative rotation of these components by forcibly removing the lid member 10 from the base member 20.

The stationary relationship between the coin 15, base member 20, and lid member 10 is attributed to the angled nature of the sidewalls 16, 21, and 22 as well as the dimensions of the container 5. The inner sidewall 21 retains the coin 15 within the container 5 in a stationary relationship, while the cooperating sidewalls 16 and 22 retain the base and lid members 20 and 10 as well as the coin 15 in stationary relationships relative to one another.

In operating the display device 100 to releasably retain the coin 15 using the container 5, the coin 15 is snapped into place within the second cavity 23 of the base member 20 as described above. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the base member 20 is then aligned to be generally co-axial with the aperture 55 and is placed through the aperture 55 from the back side 52 of the display card 50, with the bridge 18 of the base member 20 first extending through the aperture 55 toward the front side 51 of the display card 50. When the base member 20 is placed through the aperture 55, the outer diameter of the outer sidewall 22 slides along the inside of the aperture 55 until the flange 19 acts as a stop shoulder against the back side 52 of the display card 50 to prevent further movement of the base member 20 through the aperture 55 towards the front side 51 of the display card 50. At this point in the operation, the first end 22A of the outer sidewall 22 exists adjacent to the back side 52 of the aperture 55 of the display card 50. FIGS. 4 and 6 illustrate the back side 52 of the display card 50 at this step in the operation.

Next, the lid member 10 is aligned above the front side 51 of the display card 50 so that it is generally coaxial with the base member 20, the coin 15, and/or the aperture 55. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7, the lid member 10 is then placed over the base member 20 to snap the lid member 10 and base member 20 into place relative to one another. When snapping the lid member 10 over the base member 20, the inner diameter surface of the sidewall 16 slides over the outer diameter surface of the outer sidewall 22. After the lid member 10 is fully placed over the base member 20, at least a substantial portion of the inner diameter surface of the sidewall 16 is located adjacent to at least a substantial portion of the outer diameter surface of the outer sidewall 22. The angled outer sidewall 22 and sidewall 16 lock the lid member 10 and base member 20 into place relative to one another while at the same time retaining the coin 15 within the pocket formed by the first and second cavities 11 and 23.

When the lid member 10 is locked into place over the base member 20, the flange 13 of the lid member 10 is flush with the front side 51 of the display card 50. Similarly, the flange 19 of the base member 20 is flush with the back side 52 of the display card 50. Thus, the flanges 13 and 19 prevent the container 5 or any portion thereof from moving forward or backward through the aperture 55 relative to the display card 50. The display card 50 is ultimately sandwiched between the flanges 13 and 19 and between the lid member 10 and base member 20.

Additionally, and advantageously, when the lid member 10 is locked into place over the base member 20 with the display card 50 sandwiched therebetween, the container 5 is rotatable either clockwise or counterclockwise within the aperture 55 relative to the display card 50. Even though the container 5 is rotatable relative to the display card 50, the coin 15 is not rotatable relative to the container 5 due to the design of the container 5 and the fit of the base and lid members 20 and 10 with one another. Therefore, while the coin 15 is protected within the container 5 from damage, the container 5 may be manually rotated as desired so that the front side (or back side) of the coin 15 is oriented relative to the display card 50 as desired by the user.

This ability to rotate the container 5 while the coin 15 remains protected is not the only advantage resulting from the display device 100. Because the display device 100 components are easily disassembled from one another, the coin 15 may be removed from the display device 100 after assembly therewith if desired, for example to examine the coin 15 without the container 5 therearound or to replace the coin 15 with another coin (not shown). The display device 100 components are easily disassembled from one another without destroying or damaging, e.g. by scratching or denting, any portion of the display device 100 or the coin 15.

To remove the coin 15 from the container 5 or the display device 100, either the lid member 10 or the base member 20 is simply pulled away from the remainder of the display device 100 (or from the lid or base member 10, 20) so that the outer sidewall 22 and sidewall 16 slide away from one another. After the base member 20 and lid member 10 are separated from one another, the coin 15 is removed from the base member 20 as described above. A new coin or the same coin 15 may then be re-inserted into the base member 20 and the display device 100 again assembled as described above. This removal/insertion operation may be repeated as desired.

The above-described display device 100 advantageously provides the ability to rotate the container 5 and coin 15 relative to the display card 50 after the coin 15 and display device 100 are assembled without damaging the coin 15 or the display device 100. Moreover, the container 5 and coin 15 are rotatable relative to the display card 50 while the coin 15 remains at least substantially un-moveable within the assembled container 5. Additionally, the display device 100 desirably allows removal of the coin 15 from the display device 100 merely by unsnapping the lid and base members 10 and 20 from one another without damaging the coin 15 or the display device 100.

The display device 100 and container 5 of embodiments described above allow the viewer to view at least substantially all of the outside faces of the coin 15 while the coin 15 is disposed within the container 5 or within the display device 100. Both sides of the coin 15 are clearly visible when the coin 15 is disposed within the container 5.

Embodiments of the display device 100 and container 5 described above are advantageous because no adhesive is utilized on the coin 15, container 5, or display card 50 to retain the coin 15 in position relative to the display card 50, to retain the container 5 in position relative to the display card 50, or to maintain the coin 15 in position relative to the container 5. Additionally, no screws or other external retaining devices are required to perform these retaining functions. The lack of use of adhesive and other external retaining devices prevents damage to the display device 100 or coin 15 and contributes to the removable and orientable nature of the coin 15.

The display device 100 described above is further advantageous because it is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Moreover, the container S is advantageously durable and strong to protect the collectible item housed therein.

Although the embodiments described above in relation to FIGS. 1-7 show one aperture 55 through the display card 50 and one container 5, any number of apertures through the display card 50 with any number of associated containers may be utilized for embodiments of the present invention. The ability of the containers to rotate relative to the display card 50 is even more valuable when additional containers and apertures are present with the display device, so that multiple collectible items may be correctly oriented relative to the display card 50 when the collectible items are located within the containers.

In an alternate embodiment, the containers 5 may be included in the display folder shown and described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/688,471 filed on Jun. 8, 2005 by Gary Wood and Rod Wood, which provisional patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The coin display folder shown and described in this provisional patent application may include four containers 5 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/688,471, each of the four containers capable of housing one or more coins 15 therein. Of course, several designs of the coin display folder are compatible with embodiments of the present invention, including a coin display folder having less than four or more than four containers 5 disposed therethrough.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A display device for housing at least one collectible item, comprising: a display card having at least one aperture therethrough; and at least one container disposed in the at least one aperture, wherein the at least one container is capable of releasably retaining the at least one collectible item, and wherein the at least one container is rotatable within the at least one aperture relative to the display card and the at least one collectible item is removable from the display device without damaging or destroying any portion of the display device.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the container maintains the at least one collectible item in a stationary position relative to the container.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a base member having a first cavity therein and a lid member having a second cavity therein.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the base member and lid member are capable of fitting together to releasably retain the at least one collectible item therein within a pocket formed by cooperation of the first and second cavities.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the container is disposed on one side of the aperture and at least a portion of the container is disposed on an opposite side of the aperture.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the container comprises a first flange maintaining at least a portion of the container on one side of the aperture and a second flange maintaining at least a portion of the container on the opposite side of the aperture.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the display card is sandwiched between the first and second flanges.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the container is constructed from a semi-rigid material.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein the semi-rigid material is polyethylene terepthalate.

10. A container for holding a coin, comprising: a base member having a first cavity formed therein; and a lid member having a second cavity formed therein, wherein the base member and lid member are capable of snapping together so that the first and second cavities form a pocket capable of releasably holding the coin in a non-rotatable position, and wherein the lid and base members are releasable from one another after snapping together without damaging the lid member, base member, or coin.

11. The container of claim 10, wherein an inner sidewall of the base member which at least partially defines the first cavity retains the coin within the first cavity.

12. The container of claim 10, wherein an outer sidewall of the base member and a sidewall of the lid member cooperate to prevent the lid member and base member from movement relative to one another when the base member and lid member are snapped together.

13. A method for housing a collectible item, comprising: providing a container having a base member and a lid member; placing the collectible item between the base member and lid member; snapping the base member and lid member together so that the collectible item rests within a pocket formed in the container; and holding the collectible item in a set position within the container using the base and lid members, wherein the base and lid members are releasable from one another after snapping them together without damaging the container or the collectible item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the collectible item is not rotatable relative to the container after snapping the base member and lid member together.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing the collectible item from the container without damaging the collectible item or the container.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: providing a display card; and snapping the base member and lid member together wherein the base member and lid member are disposed on opposite sides of the display card.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the container is rotatable relative to the display card.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the collectible item is not rotatable relative to the container.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising rotating the container relative to the display card.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing the collectible item from the container without damaging the container, coin, or display card.