Damaged Proofs HELP

I recieved a lot of proof sacagaweas today from ebay at a killer price. But, unfortunalty, they are all covered in fingerprints so badly it's like someone tried to get them dirty. Forturatly it hasn't stained, but how should I remove the prints without harming the mirror surfaces?

 

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If you figure out how to remove grease from fingerprints from a metal mirror surface, please let me know just for future reference. I think the group will say it is too late and the damage has already been done even if the surface does not appear to be affected. You rub or touch them with anything fabric like and I think you will get scratches. I would return them unless they are sooo cheep that you think you are stuck with them and you could not harm them further. Maybe try mild nonabrasive liquid soap under warm water then dry with a hair dryer. I really think anything you do though will affect the surface in a negative manner. I have asked a similar question before and the consensus was the coin is toast.

 

It depends on how long the prints have been there, with the owner's body oils eating away at the coin surface. If they are fresh enough, a quick bath in acetone, followed by repeated rinsing in distilled or deionized water may save them. DO NOT use liquid soap, or any other organic product under any circumstances. Use only pure acetone obtained from a paint, hardware or home center store and avoid nail polish remover or other acetone-based products with unknown chemical additives.

 

i wonder why someone would try to destroy a proof?

 

Coinlover i wonder why someone would try to destroy a proof?

There are evil people out there.

 

that kindof makes me angry when i heard about someone touching the crap out of a proof!:headbang: i would love to find a proof in circualtion, but that just makes me sick to find out someone destroyed a proof on purpose!

 

hamman88,

Please let us know how the pure acetone works out. You can get the distilled water from any grocery store. I would think that once you go down this road you own them regardless.

Best of Luck!

Darryl

 

Well, I did it. And it worked GREAT! You would of never know it was covered in fingerprints.

I used turpentine a little finger friction and an old t-shirt to dap it dry.

 

glad to hear you saved the proofs!:kewl:

 

Hey Hamman88. I commend you on your attempt to restore these proofs. I am addicted to proofs. I want them all 1936-1964. I have clad proofs, but its the old silver proof sets that I crave.

When cleaning proofs, or any coin for that manner, you must never use friction as a method of cleaning. Doing so will damage the coin permanently. Chemicals meant for this process "can" be effective "only if" they are used correctly. Rinsing the cleaner throughly and drying without handling mistakes are the keys. And timing is everything.

Good luck and keep collecting proofs!!!

 

Glad to hear!!! :hail: And for future reference, don't listen to any advice I may give . Good Luck.

Darryl

 

I don't mean to be rude or anything----but I would leave the coins out in a place where you can watch them for about a month---in fact I would have sent them back to Ebay.
I dipped some proof coins in Acetone that had fingerprints and spots came up and the coins looked really bad---about the same as with fingerprints--I sold them for melt or alittle less...

Speedy

 

Yeah, I'm sorry to hear this. Sad that people don't know what they are doing when they handle coins. Could we see some pics? These aren't the ones for $36 are they?

Phoenix

 

If you think that's bad enough, take a look at these two:

The original:


And a damaged example:


Now that is beyond anything I can do except to keep it in a 2x2. Mintage is just 30,000.

 

Oh my god, GXSERIES what was done to this coin? That is really sad...

 

Who knows what happened to the coin. It's a relatively uncommon proof coin nowadays as this is considered to be the first real silver commemorative coin released in the Soviet Union after the Moscow Olympics. Such coins these days are going strongly over 60USD due to this reason - even much higher with the original box and certificate.

When I found this coin online - I was already upset at it's state from some tiny pictures. But that didn't matter too much as the total cost of the coin including the shipping was like 6-7USD, not too bad as this coin is a full ounce silver.

It was already terribly scratched, banged, etc - you can imagine all kinds of damage except the coin almost heading towards the metal refinery. Oh well...

 

Like I said, very sad that someone did this to this coin. A good buy for you and somewhat of a reminder to the rest of us to treat your coins with the care they deserve - or else.

Every time someone suggests that they are going to clean a coin you should just post this photo.

walterallen's comments in this thread should be a BIG red flag to all of us that do not have much experience at coin cleaning/restoration. That would be a class well worth taking. It could go something like - Here are the (Negative) results of different forms of attempted cleaning and here are some proper steps you can take to try and save a coin. I still get the impression though once touched - forever damaged, and then it's just a matter of degree. My mild soap comment was probably just as bad as the turpentine as soaps are sure to have different chemicals, oils, minerals and minute abrasives that would significantly affect a mirrored surface.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Man, now that is one sad coin. Only if money could talk. Then it would probably say some not so nice things about the person that did that lol. Very sad.

Phoenix

 

Gxseries...did someone dunk that in acid........? (oh and i did find a modern proof 2p coin (british) in circulation), completely covered in fingerprints ?!)