Dealing with Fingerprints

So I receive my lastest pick up in the mail. It's a 1956 Franklin Proof. Perfect for my Franklin proof collection. It's luster is great with that mirror shine. Then, that stinking feeling as my eyes gaze upon finger prints. :headbang:

You assume some jobber wouldn't put their thumb all over a proof coin. But we all know what assuming does.

So, is there a way to deal with finger prints without doing further harm to the coin?

 

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I think acetone could work, just be careful handling it.

 

Depends on how long the print has been there. Relatively recent ones will disappear after a brief dip in pure acetone, such as you can obtain from a hardware store, paint store or home center. The wife's nailpolish remover has unknown additives, some of which could be harmful.

Unfortunately, if the print has been there long enough for chemical reactions between the metal and the body oils to have occurred, it may be permanent.

 

It might be time to think about returning it ! If that,s an option, Using a
Chemical could dull the luster!

 

As Hontonai said, it depends. Acetone won't hurt the surface, if you use new pure acetone, but if you can see the print, probably too late already, but it may stabilize the print and prevent more apparent damage. If you can live with it ~great! If not, return, sell or trade it and get another. There is always the chance any coin you receive might have an unseen fingerprint or similar problem lurking, waiting for time/environment to make it appear. Other than that, a person experienced in "dipping" silver coins could try to remove the fingerprint by using a diluted silver dip such as E-Z-est ( 1:10 parts distilled water) to see if the print would go without damaging the proof surface much. It all depends on the severity of the print whether this would work.

 

steel wool?












na Im just kidding. pure acetone will probably do it

 

If the print is fresh, acetone will do it.

If it is not, you'll need to dip the coin to remove it (E-Z-Est/Jeweluster), and even then if the print was there for a while you may not be able to completely remove it without ruining the luster.

All of the above IMO and based on my experience...Mike

 

Go to your local law enforcement agency and have them dust your coin and lift the print. Run the print, find the idiot, then insert boot (guess where). Have a happy day...

 

edited that was funny

 

E-Z-Est Speedip with 1:10 parts distilled water?

or

E-Z-Est (Jeweluster) with 1:10 parts distilled water?
​

Please kindly clarify. Thanks.

 

My suggestion, leave it. Any kind of dipping to remove it could affect the luster in a bad way. Leave it.

 

The Jeweluster type of E-Z-est. (1 part) to 9 0r 10 parts of distilled water. No need to get into arguments about ratios. You just want to dilute it so you have minimal effect per seconds in the solution. By diluting it, you slow down the acid action, so you have time to rinse in water and look at the result. you can dip again if not enough to suit you. The Jeweluster as it comes is too concentrated for non-professionals to time correctly, IMO, that is why so many coins are over-dipped and lusterless. After you finish, discard the diluted solution as it should not be poured back into the original bottle. Obviously stop if the luster starts to be affected.

There are possibilities of the result being worse than it is now, but the dilution reduces, but not eliminate, such possibilities. No guarantees.

 

Thanks :thumb:

 

In my opinion you might simply send the coin back. It appears that you are not happy with it and there is a good chance that the print is there to stay.

 

I know this is far off the subject, but I wonder what the oldest print would look like. Could an old print of a founder be preserved in such a manner? An old Ancient print?

 

I don't see any reason why not :thumb:

 

I've successfully removed oil deposits from proofs with zero side effects using Tarn-X.

Acetone just won't cut it (pun intended). You would need to move the oil off the surface manually if you used acetone, ie. cotton swab or something similar. I don't recommend this at all, as even a Q-tip can scratch it up. The Tarn-X solution is more than sufficient for pulling oil off without the need to make contact to the coin with a towel, Q-tip, etc. If you go this route, just be sure to rinse with warm/hot water and let it air dry.