Do fingerprints affect a proofs grade

At how many times does it take for him to be educated?
I'm thinking 14 might make him over educated...

 

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why not put acetone down the drain?

 

If the assistant has committed previous boners, then why did you entrust the coins to him? It sounds like your assistant "had it in for you". Maybe he felt overworked for what he was being paid? I'm only making this comment for you to consider when interviewing a replacement.

Chris

 

While acetone is soluble in water it is still flammable and it can destroy plumping pipes as it may dissolve or eat through some plastic fittings. Some communities may even ban it from being put through the water system and introduced into the environment. You should check your local regulations for disposal. Here is a product safety page from Dow on Acetone.

MSDS sheet for Acetone [PDF file]

 

If you're too worried about using acetone, whether it be from its abrasive properties or cost, you can use a 1:1 mixture of distilled water and ammonia as a substitute. If you're familiar with it as a household cleaning product, you'll know that it eats away at grease and oils with ease. However, I would not recommend exposing silver to this solution for more than 2-3 minutes. By using a spray bottle with the mixture, the fingerprints should come off within just a few seconds.
Easily one of my favorite home-made cleaning concoctions.

To ensure that 99.9999% of the fingerprint oils are dissolved, you could follow up with GDJMSP's acetone method, posted in this thread.

 

Because the assistant put their big fat oily fingers all over the surface of the coin. Even the most rank beginners know to handle a coin by the edges.

If the OP failed to point that out to the assistant, that's a strike against the OP.

If the assistant was not instructed how to handle a coin, they should have asked. In any event, the assistant cannot be 100% innocent; they screwed up the coins.

 

Since the "boss" already knew the assistant had a tendency to screw things up, the blame must rest on his shoulders alone for the decision to let the assistant handle what appears to be a personal matter unrelated to the business, that is, unless the business is a coin shop.

Chris

 

I suppose that's true by the strictest definition of doctoring, so I won't belabor the point.

Rather, I'll simply ask this question : with the coins damaged by fresh fingerprints, is it wise to use the acetone process to remove the fingerprints ? YES.

Is it ethical ? YES.

Is it an intent to deceive ? NO.

Is it better, in the name of ethics, to leave the fingerprints on the coins, knowing full well they can be safely removed ? No way. Perish the thought.

Why is it good to ruin nice coins, removing them from future collectors' hands ? Why is it good to allow their condition to worsen, rather than remove the culprit ?

In a very real sense, our ethical duty is not just to other collectors - we have an ethical duty to the coins themselves. We are like curators of a museum, and we owe it to future numismatists to care for all coins in the best possible manner.

Why would anyone knowingly allow the coins to worsen over time, eaten up by acids from The Assistant, when the solution is at one's fingertips ?

 

How do you know that ?

 

FWIW, we used to dump it down the drain (literally) all the time during college labs. However, that was before the advent of PVC pipes. Acetone is a naturally occurring chemical (you are making it right now in your body) and in small quantities, should hurt nothing. However, dumping a concentrated solvent down PVC pipes is not a good idea.

 

ummm, wasn't the fingertips what caused this problem in the first place?

 

@ rlm: Cleaning printing plates and screens in print shops, from commercial applications to fine art print operations and university studios, used to be common place. It wasn't just the solvents going down the drain, but all the oil based inks, waxy grounds and resist chemicals, bleaches, varnishes... you name it! Acetone and other de-greasers like denatured alcohol or spirits were liberally applied for clean up and freely allowed to go through minimal filtration then on their way to the sewage system!

 

Well, you had better quit using the urinals then. I guarantee you put more down there than you have ever used for cleaning coins. Sewer district would never see it.

 

Because he said so!

Chris

 

I'm coming in late to this party, but I would say dip the coins in acetone quick before the prints get a chance to etch in any more than they already may have. A proof Franklin is a terrible thing to waste.
Although, the more that get ruined the more mine are worth.......na, fix them while you can.