What is a Monster Box?
Posted on November 18, 2021
If you buy silver and gold bullion, you may have heard of a “monster box.” A plastic box used to securely and compactly store and transport a large number of bullion coins, rounds, or bars is called a monster box in coin collecting and bullion investor jargon.
Monster boxes are designed to protect coins and bullion throughout transportation and delivery into long-term storage. These cases are the most efficient way to store as many as 500 coins safely. And yes, the numbers are large...
For example, a U.S. Mint monster box containing silver American eagle coins will have 25 tubes with 20 coins apiece, for a total of 500 coins. In comparison, the Royal Canadian Mint’s monster box of silver Canadian maple leaf coins contains 20 tubes filled with 25 silver coins each, totaling 500 coins.
A monster box is crafted specifically for storing and transporting and storing bullion safely and securely, making it the perfect container for short- or even long-term silver storage. These might sound like ordinary boxes, but they are very intelligently designed for their use in neatly housing stacks of coins and rounds. To access a monster box, you have to be an authorized bullion dealer. Monster boxes also include security features to ensure the contents have not been tampered with or altered in any way.
Members of the public can’t buy monster boxes directly. Instead, they’re sold to bullion dealers like BullionMax. Once we get our hands on them, we either unpack the box and tubes to fulfill customer orders, or we just ship them on to you.
If you happen to be skeptical about the monster box and its use in storing stacks of bullion, you might be pleased to learn that the U.S. Mint, Royal Canadian Mint (RCM), Austrian Mint, and Perth Mint all use monster boxes to pack bullion products for shipping to dealers.
Benefits of using a monster box
Remember, these monster boxes were designed with industrial and logistical purposes in mind: Protecting and securing a very large number of small, dense objects from damage. They’re rugged, durable, and do their job extremely well. They’re not especially beautiful (unless you find beauty in efficiency and effectiveness). Originally they weren’t intended for private buyers any more than milk crates are. Even so, silver stackers and gold bugs are mostly die-hard fans of monster boxes.
There are several benefits to using a monster box for packaging rounds and coins and preserving bullion security, including:
- Efficient, stackable packaging designed to hold up to 500 coins or rounds in a compact box makes the monster box ideal for storage at home or in a safe deposit box.
- The monster box’s compact, low-profile design makes it easier to safely transport your valuable gold and silver bullion.
- Durable, solid plastic tubes protect the contents of your box from being damaged.
- An unopened monster box comes with a security seal and certificate from the issuing mint to prevent tampering and reduce errors during processing and shipping. A sealed monster box can also have increased value since it contains the provenance you need to get top dollar from selling your silver or gold coins or rounds. Further, a sealed monster box straight from a mint contains identical products, created at the same time, which may create additional collectible value.
- Lower quantity pricing for you. If you plan to buy large quantities of bullion, you’ll usually get a lower price per coin. Remember, here at BullionMax we incur fees on every transaction. We actually save money when you make large purchases, and we’re happy to pass savings on to you for making our lives easier.
Which products are offered in monster boxes?
Monster boxes come in a variety of different options depending on the type of coin you buy. Since each mint has its own unique bullion pieces, varied designs and dimensions can change the size of the box or the configuration of the protective tubes inside. Monster box bullion products you can buy include:
Specific monster box dimensions
Because they come from different mints, there are some differences in specifics. However, they’re similarly sized and all are rugged.
- U.S. Mint
- Green
- 15 x 8.5 x 4.5 inches
- Weighs 3 lbs empty
- Royal Canadian Mint:
- Color varies (we’ve seen yellow and red for coins, gray and black for bullion bars)
- 9.75 x 8 x 4.5 inches (silver maple leaf monster box)
- Weighs a little over 3 lbs empty
- Manufactured by Pelican
- Austrian Mint:
- Red
- 9.8 x 9.8 x 4 inches
- Weighs just over 2.5 lbs empty
- Perth Mint:
- Blue with white lid (silver kangaroos)
- 10.38 x 4.9 x 4.1 inches
- Weighs a little over 2 lbs empty
You can sometimes find empty monster boxes for sale ranging from $15-$60 each.
Why monster box is the ideal solution for silver bullion storage
Though you can, in theory, store your silver bullion in a shoebox or a cheap plastic container, it probably isn’t something any serious silver investor would consider. Shoeboxes are for shoes. Instead, a monster box is an ideal solution for silver bullion storage:
- The price of silver is a mere fraction of the price of gold, platinum, and other precious metals. Therefore, an investment in silver often takes up far more physical space. The monster box is arguably the most efficient way to store a valuable collection of silver coins, bars, and rounds.
- A sealed monster box will hold its value better than a comparable collection of loose silver bullion. Sealed monster boxes often sell for significantly more because they offer a guarantee of authenticity and quality, plus the implicit “never touched by human hands” promise made when the issuing mint seals up the box.
- Monster boxes make transportation vastly safer and easier. With a monster box, your silver is encased in thick plastic tubes, protecting you from accidental loss or damage.
Monster boxes aren’t just for silver, though. We do (and have) shipped monster boxes of gold coins across the U.S. If you’re shopping for a monster box of gold coins, get in touch and we’ll make it happen!
Monster boxes from BullionMax
We offer many of our silver bullion products in monster boxes straight from the mints. Monster boxes are one of the best ways to buy bulk bullion. Check out our individual product pages to order a monster box of your favorite bullion items today.
