Here's my latest scheme to obscure coins and banknotes being sent through the mail:
1. Find an envelope with a clear plastic window - you know the type.
2. Cut out a boring piece of fine print from any piece of junk mail you have laying around.
3. Tape the fine print under the window, so the envelope looks like it is full of boring junk.
4. Fill it up with coins and goodies.
Smart, right? Next time you go into the office, steal a stack of these and let me know how it turns out
I think, Customs know if there are coins, just by shear weight vs size of the envelope. Unless you want make a thick box like envelop with junk around the coins. This will increase your postal weight and charge. I have seen that in order to clear customs, just clearly declare the coins as " Hobby items, medals for collection". Not many are interested in collecting medals ( those in postal service who are from countries where you tend to lose). I believe the best disguise so far is to cut out round shapes from corrugated card board, then place the coins in the shallow, cover with paper. This would be perfect and difficult to know there are coins inside unless they scan it. Post man would not mostly detect it.
I dont think hiding stuff from customs have a point, they will know whats inside after simple scan.
However, for all other people who handle post before it reaches the right person, it is a good idea to not let them know what is inside. Therefore i would think any packaging where coins make no noise or be soon or felt through the package, should be cool.
It does not need to be a postal service worker who is a thief, in many shared houses, apartment complexes and just postboxes there is a time in between delivery and the right person picking it up where other people have potential access to a mail and if there might be something good inside.... u know.
At some point i lived in 6-appartment complex where post was simply left on table at hallway because the postbox was a hole in main door, same for every resident. People living there changed so often that most of time i had no idea who lives next to me. Several things went missing then, specially bank cards sent by bank and stuff like that and it is not a postal service i would blame.
What i mean is that even in countries where coins are "not allowed" to be sent, the customs will usually not seize the coins from what i have learned by now, but they can not be held responsible for loss and these packages can not be claimed for as they go uninsured even if sent with registered post.
In many countries all the international post runs through a scan conveier and there is some bored out person starting at the screen in front of them. They do not usually turn no attention in coinshaped metal, but look out for unusual and more viciously organic substances.
On the package from Latvia I received in UK today ... https://en.numista.com/forum/topic25825.html
there was this form ...
which described the 8-coin set as 'Collector token 8'
