fingerprints on Sacagawea Dollar

I have 2 Sacagawea coins and both have what looks like fingerprints somehow pressed into them. The first one and with really prominent fingerprints across half of the obverse is a 2000 D with a golden eagle on the reverse. The reverse side is showing some rainbow toning. The 2nd coin has the date, e pluribus unim and 13 stars stricken on the edge of the coin and if the obverse is facing up (Sacagawea heads up) the date and wording is upsidedown. To read the stricking around the edge, you'd have to have the reverse of the coin facing up. Also, on this coin you can see a slight fingerprint mark to the right of Sacagawea's chin. Are these errors and are either of these coins worth anything other than face value? Are there more coins out there with fingerprints on them and was this done when they were minted or are the fingerprints considered post mint? Let me know what you guys think. Thanks again in advance for your expert feedback!

 

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I think it important that we alert AFIS on this one. Let's bag the ruddy blighter.......

 

Just a guess or two here. If it is indeed pressed in, then I would guess someone with some sort of tool may have fooled with it. If it is raised it may be simple die deterioration and poor metal flow when made. The oil on someone's hand may have also made it look more like a fingerprint than what it actually might be. But in either case it would be a spender.

 

This.

 

If its ever lost, you have pictures and prints to identify it.

 

Fingerprints very rarely increase the value of a coin, unless it's from George Washington, Abe or someone similar.

 

Hi Green18,
I have no clue what you mean????

 

Guys,
Take a closer look at my second picture and zoom into it as much as possible, would you say that looks like those lines are in the metal as my view clearly shows raised ridges.

Also on the second coin, is the edge minting upside down?

When you say it's a spender, what does that mean? Sorry, but I'm a newbie and not familiar with the lingo. Thanks again to everyone for your prompt and well educated responses!

 

Robert. they are just fingerprints from being circulated and used in commerce, so they are worth face value.

 

Spender means it's not a coin to keep but to spend as it has no real collector value unless you just want to save it as it is. Please refer to my first post on the raised lines. On the edge lettering being upside down, it's actually what is called an A & B position. Randomly the coins edges are struck right side up and upside down. This is also true of all the current dollar coins. It is not an error, it is just minted this way.

 

LOL! That's funny. The coin comes with its own set of fingerprints!

 

As for the edge lettering they go through a Schuler edge lettering machine and are dumped in by the thousands and go through which ever way they are facing.

 

Gotcha. Thanks again for the explanations. In still scratching my head as to how a metal coin can get fingerprints or whatever that is on it and they do not come off when rubbed with a clean microfiber cloth.

 

the oils on your hands is acidic and with etch into the surface

 

Not just the oil in your hands but someone may have handled these with something more extreme, maybe motor oil, grease, anti-freeze. Just about any chemical will interact with coins in such a way.

 

You are reading w-a-a-y too much into these fingerprinted coins.
They are simply finger prints. Some folks have more oils in their finger tips than others. These coins happened to be touched by someone that did.

Spenders means = Feel free to spend without any regrets what so ever.

Or, you could choose to believe that they are indeed "special" and cart them around for 30 years at which point, you'll look at them and go........."Why the heck was I keeping these? They're covered in fingerprints!"

 

Or...my goodness, there are no details on these, must be struck through grease!

 

Thanks again I'm not trying to elevate these coins value nor am I being argumentative and I hope my replies are not coming across that way and if they are, apologies!

As I initially stated, Im a newbie (and I like to ask questions when learning something new). Thanks to everyone for all the info/insight.

 

These coins are a good example of why collectable coins should only be handled by the edge, fingerprints can damage the surface lowering the value of the coin.

 

Never saw 'Forensic Files'?

AFIS.......Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Just a little tongue and cheek......