Abstract: An improved container for the storage, display and protection of collectable items such as graded coins, stamps, jewels and other valuables is disclosed. Display of the collectable items is enhanced by an optical element which provides reflective means for viewing the item indirectly. A reflecting prismatic ring is preferred to provide viewing of the periphery of a cavity or the collectable item enclosed therein. In a second embodiment where two or more components may completely enclose the cavity, various tamper-resistant and tamper-evidencing features are further incorporated in the container design to discourage and prevent fraudulent substitutions of collectable items, modification of grade and value certificates enclosed therewith, or counterfeiting of container components.

Abstract: An improved coin holder for the storage, display and protection of graded coins and other valuables is disclosed. Various tamper-resistant and tamper-evidencing features of the coin holder discourage and prevent fraudulent attempts to obtain access to replace graded coins with those of lesser quality, or tamper with coin grading certificates sealed with the coin in an inner element. Additional features discourage and make difficult the wholesale counterfeiting of the coin holder itself. The coin holder may be partially disassembled to obtain direct, unobstructed access to the coin contained therein, while maintaining the integrity of the grading certificate retained in the inner element along with the coin. The device introduces greater security and certainty into the process of marketing graded and increasingly valuable numismatic items.

Abstract: An apparatus for splitting materials including wood, having rotating conical wedge elements which screw their way into the material thereby splitting and/or fracturing the material. The axes of rotation of the conical wedge members are closer together at the pointed ends than at the base ends, and in a preferred embodiment are touching at the pointed ends with the surfaces of the conical wedge members in contact along their lengths.