I sell A LOT of coins on Ebay. Shipping coins can sometimes be a delicate, and risky venture. Most carriers (UPS, USPS, etc) have clauses in their user agreements which allow them to automatically decline insurance claims for lost packages which contain coins, claiming they are of "unusual value" or forbidden to accept them for shipment at all (which they all do anyway). if you pack things correctly, you have very few worries, but if the carrier simply loses your package, or someone within the carrier steals your item, you are basically out of luck. Here are some tips to help avoid this kind of situation.

Here are a few tips to help you to avoid possible loss when shipping coins.

ALWAYS HAVE A TRACKING NUMBER. If you ship an item and it is lost, it is not your fault. As long as  you have a tracking number and proof of mailing, then you should be fine. make certain your customers know that when you ship them coins, it is being done AT THEIR OWN RISK, as there are simply certain things that no matter what you do, are beyond your control. If you just ship something at the post office w/out getting any kind of tracking #, you are gambling, and will lose any claims filed w/ Pay pal, even if the buyer received your item... without proof of mailing/tracking number, you can easily be taken advantage of by not only your carrier, but also by a dishonest buyer on the other end. If you ship USPS, an even better way to go for higher valued shipments is REGISTERED MAIL, it is often a good idea to have a policy that any items sold over a specific dollar amount are REQUIRED to be sent "REGISTERED MAIL AT THE BUYER'S EXPENSE", if a buyer is willing to pay $700 for coins, they should be willing to pay the additional fee for Registered Mail to assure their coins arrive safely.

FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS... REGISTERED MAIL IS THE WAY TO GO! The safest and most secure way to send overseas is Registered Mail at USPS. To do this, you will need BROWN PAPER SEALING TAPE, they will not accept packages that have clear tape, or smooth tape for Registered mail as they must stamp all the seems/taped areas (so they cannot be tampered with), also, anyone who touches your package along the way will have to sign for it, this includes ALL postal service employees, and you get a really reliable tracking number. Make sure  to include in your auction policies that "ALL INTERNATIONAL COINS ARE SHIPPED REGISTERED MAIL AT BUYER'S EXPENSE... NO EXCEPTIONS!" Registered mail costs an additional $10 or $11 on top of the regular charge... if your buyer does not want to pay the additional charge, then they are gambling with not only their own, but your own money.

PACKAGING, PACKAGING, PACKAGING! Packing your items correctly is a MUST, this eliminates the possiblilty of damage/packaging coming open/coins coming loose, etc. If you are going to pack coins in padded mailers, make sure to DOUBLE package them and tape them good w/ clear packaging tape outside. A sturdy box is always best, though. The goal is to eliminate the possibility of damage/liability due to your neglegance, so make sure you pack with care!

NO NOISE!!!!!! It is important to always make sure that your coins make no noise  in the package. Even if they are in tubes, stuff them so they do not move/create any sound. The sound of coins inside a package means $$$ to anyone who hears it, and a dishonest person at your shipping carrier may choose to steal your valuable shipment. Make sure your coins do not jingle!

Even by following some of this advice, a carrier may lose your shipment, but it happens rarely, if at all. The important thing is to cover the bases on your end, so your neglegance and liability does not come into play. After all, you cannot control what everyone who works at your shipping carrier is doing as they are handling your package across the country (or across the world!). Please feel free to pass this along, and add to it as you see fit. I can speak only from experiance, and I hope this has been helpful!