I was wondering what the best way to remove a thumbprint from a proof coin? I was putting the coin in a 2x2 and left a thumbprint on the coin. I know you are not suppose to clean coins...so whats the best way to remove the thumbprint without damaging the coin?
Acetone soak for a day if silver or gold. If clad, a short soak of maybe an hour. If the print is more than a couple days old, don't even bother...but if its fresh, it will take it off no problem.
The short soak seemed to work pretty well. Its like 95% gone. Which is good enough. I don't really ever plan on selling my coins unless I'm like almost homeless or something. I just want it to look nice in the display case.
You'd be surprised. Depending on how fresh the print is, acetone can work nicely on removing unsightly prints.
but that would be considered "cleaning" and would decrease the value. I only "clean" or "restore" my coins if it could possibly help the value.
Uh, no, actually. Acetone is NOT considered cleaning (in my mind), as it does not remove the original patina of the coin. It removes something that was not part of the "original coin", such as grime, or in this case, a fingerprint. It does not decrease the value of the coin by giving it an acetone dip.
I thought only roman coins had a patina? welp, learn something new everyday. (same goes with your quoted post) but im sure some people (myself (at one time) included) think that it is considered cleaning.
I've actually soaked some old copper coins in acetone before, and it made them look "dried out" as if the patina lightened slightly.
You did good with acetone. I sold a Franklin Half to a member here, brilliant proof and toned, he was making a transfer from a cardboard 2x2 to an airtite, and in the process he accidentally let the coin slip and rest on his fingers. Immediately he contacted me and I told him to soak it in acetone. He came back to the coin and the print was gone. Though if he were to let the print etch into the coin for say 3 days, it would have been permanent.
The same thing happened to me - I was putting a proof in an Air-Tite and my dang thumb slipped over the edge onto the obverse and left a nice print. Maybe two days later it got an acetone bath and it came right off. The coin was in the acetone for maybe 20 seconds. It was actually pretty amazing how well it worked. After the acetone I rinsed the coin with distilled water. Then to dry the proof I put down a soft, thick, cotton cloth and placed the coin on it. I turned the coin over and over until it was dry without rubbing or patting. Worked like a charm. Edit: Dang it Caz, you beat me too it! I'm that guy
There is no way to tell if silver or gold had a bath in acetone if you do it right. It works great on removing fresh prints. Keep in mind that when you touch a proof, you might put tiny scratches in the mirrors. Acetone can't help scratches.
