Fingerprints

I have recently starting to get back into coin collecting after many years and found this forum full of helpful information. I would like to know the best way to remove fingerprints before putting a coin(s) (copper, silver, gold) into a holder (2x2's, AirTites etc) to avoid damage in the future.

Thanks

 

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Sorry I know of no way to remove finger prints from coins without ruining it in the process.

Rick

 

The best way to remove them? Is not to put them there to begin with Welcome to the forum BTW--

 

Hi Zeke. Welcome to the forum, and back to the hobby.

Unfortunately, an acetone bath will remove verrrrrrrrry recent fingerprints, but if the body fluids have been on the coin for very long, damage has already occurred.

For anything except copper, pure acetone - not the significant other's nail polish remover which contains additives - will not cause any harm and will prevent further damage from the fingerprint contact. Personally, I've never had any problem with copper and acetone, but there are those who say that copper can turn color after an acetone bath.

REMINDER: Acetone is highly flammable, and the fumes are highly bad for you, so use it only in a well ventilated area. Usually a quick slosh in a glass dish is all that's needed.

 

I understand the part about not getting them there in the first place. I have some error state quarters that I have pulled out of circulation that I would like to preserve. I also have lots of AU and BU silver coins I want to put together in sets. Should I just seal them up as is?

 

If not acetone, what is recommended for copper?

 

NOTHING is recommended for copper. Copper is exceptionally reactive and as such it can, and does, react with pretty much everything. Even distilled water can cause a reaction.

This difficulty with color is why collectors of copper coins put such a heavy premium on full red colored specimens. Once the color begins to change it can NEVER be recovered, and the coin is permanently tarnished.

 

Would you change your mind if there was evidence of the potentiality of PVC damage on a target piece of copper? ie. Coins that have come in contact with chemically reactive material but not (yet) showing signs of damage.

What about copper pieces that are already showing signs of damage? (green spots, etc.) Let them be?

 

acetone even when used will not get rid of the green spots,

IMHO even acetone would need to be disclosed as a cleaned coin,,,cleaning is cleaning no two sides to that coin !!!

 

Absolutely agree that any cleaning should be disclosed.

But what would you recommend if a coin was exposed to a damaging environment and will continue to disintegrate without human intervention?

 

If you feel you must do some "repair work" to save the coin,you will have to list it as a cleaned coin. As for me I will not clean a coin. I will however, preserve it as best I can from any more damage.

 

Unless the coin is a key date, I would do nothing to them,, common coins are easily replaced with undamaged coins, Key dates are different I would probly have the work done professionally and then slabbed with that disclosure.

 

IMHO even acetone would need to be disclosed as a cleaned coin,,,cleaning is cleaning no two sides to that coin !!!

Absolutely agree that any cleaning should be disclosed.

With that logic ALL ciculated coins would have to be described as being cleaned. The act of handling them provides a wiping action that "cleans" the old oil layer off and adds a fresh one.

 

If you would send said coin to NCS (for "conserving")then to be passed on to NGC for a possible grade and a slab, would there be any disclosure of what NCS did?

 

I guess the real question should be if NCS does "preservation work" and sent on to NGC is there any mention of this? In my opinion I don't think anything is mentioned. If you look at the work they have done from let say this last sunken ship's the SS Republics gold & silver coins, no mention is on the slab that these items were "restored" or cleaned. But the buyer better assume that some work was done since those coins were in salt water for over 100 years.

Now we will get into semantics, is sending a coin off to get preserved cleaning? Since I do not know what is done in this process, for me it is hard to say. I understand that some of the processes they use is secret. I do not know of any other organization that does what NCS does, do you? Perhaps they do not use any chemicals at all? The metals in whatever case is not physically touched or altered. Perhaps they use electronic means. Who knows, all I do know is that they are very good at it. Now I would not use this process on any old coin, it would have to be a very special coin before I would go thru the process. Remember, in this case there will be 2 fees involved, the NCS fee, then the NGC fees--

 

semantics and or ethics.
i replied with another question because of the disclosure issue. The fingerprint or the attempt to remove it will disclose itself. Either way, the coin will stand on it's merits won't it?


i can speculate how NCS "conserves" coins, but one thing i do believe, because they strongly mention, that they do not move metal.
NCS tactics can stay a secret because i have a feeling that just the expence of settup would be more than i'd want to bother with.


Steve