Fingerprints on Coins

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Damn! That's terrible! Makes you wonder if NGC grades coins with a fingerprint on it. My guess is they do, am I wrong?

 

Personally if I purchased a coin with a fingerprint on it I would send it back. We all know it comes from mishandling of the coin. A 43-d may be hard to come across in that condition , but I think there are ones to be had out there. I do not think there is any way to remove the finger print , maybe an acetone rinse , although I am not that familiar with using acetone , and best wait for another opinion. It is a very nice coin , but disappointing having a print on it. At least they never tried to remove it by rubbing the coin with a cloth or something. I wonder if they down graded the coin because of the print.? Dillan

 

You would have thought it might have been considered damage, I guess not. Makes me wonder if that fingerprint grew on the coin after it was slabbed.

 

My first thought was what a shame. That carelessness destroyed this coin. My second thought was it was handled incorrectly, submitted, graded and slabbed by NGC and then the print appeared.

Take it to the FBI and have them run the print. Track down the culprit and hold them accountable. lol

 

Maybe the slabber accidentally grabbed the coin the wrong way. Then figured they better grade it as it was not what happened. Conspiracy theory ! I think they wear some gloves of some type do they not??

 

Maybe send it to the FBI to ID the fingerprint!

No, that print is there to stay. I'm not touching it. It's baked into the surface!

Like I said, it may have grown on the coin after the fact.

 

Who knows how long that coin was in that slab. I always acetone my coins before submitting them.

 

Well whatever it is, it's unique.

 

You guys must have some coins with fingerprints on them, no?

 

It is corrosion, same as toning, so a silver dip would remove the layer and fingerprint. A hazardous action if you do not have extensive practice. A weak solution might take the print off without endangering the surface too much.

 

I see and appreciate or point but no way! I'm not touching it. Like you say, it's corrosion and from where I'm sitting; it's baked into the surface. It's not coming off and (IMO) a silver dip would destroy the coin.

 

It's a $10 coin without the print. The print would come off if you know what you are doing but why bother with it. You could crack it out and dip it and still have a $10 coin.

 

I have read that they don't consider a fingerprint damage, just weakens eye appeal.
If the fingerprint is fresh, acetone will remove it no problem. The issue I have is if the fingerprint is old. The oils and acid have now permanently etched the fingerprint onto the surface of the coin. (And generally it's permanent.) How is that not damage?

 

Well, it's worth a little more then $10. It's already been cracked out. I bought the slab to break it out.

 

Will you try to remove it?

 

Will I try to remove the fingerprint? Hell no!

 

Most probably

 

Your attempts would be futile as the oils from the finger print are already 'etched' into the coin and impossible to remove (without damaging it).

 

Since the coin is out of the slab, why not give it an overnight soak in acetone? Nothing to lose.