Does anyone know how long a fingerprint needs to set into a coin before it becomes etched into the surface?? I plan on sending 6 coins with fingerprints on them to NCS and from what I read they do remove fingerprints if they havn't already been etched into the surface. Yes, I know that you can remove a fingerprint within a few days of its arrival if you use acetone, but after that I realize it is impossible to do unless you use some sort of cleaning and I don't want to take any chances by cleaning and I would rather just pay NCS $15 a coin to do this for me so I don't screw the coins up, but since it takes about 4 to 6 weeks I woudl like to know if it is even worth my time to send them in if the fingerprints are already etched into the surface and they are destined to come back to me anyways with a response that there is nothing they can do because of the severity of the prints. This is probably a tough question, but once again does it take years for a fingerprint to become etched into a surface or just months????? Has anyone ever sent a coin to NCS for fingerprint removal and if so how long were the prints on the coin??? Thanks
I have a 1931 s lincoln with a fingerprint. But being MS+ I wouldn't even think of taking the chance removing it or even having someone else do it for me. The coin is beautiful as it is fingerprint or not.
I had fingerprints on for about 8 months I purchased a roll of 25 Wisconsin low leafs about 6 months after they were first discovered and 5 had fingerprints on them. I tried acetone and it did absolutely nothing, so I gave up on them and just let it go. About 2 months later I sent them off to NCS and I got the seller on ebay to agree to reimburse me most of the cost I would incur from NCS which was $15 a coin since he didn't disclose that some had fingerprints on them. About a month later they all came back in NGC holders with the fingerprints no longer visible and they were 65's and 64's which is basically what I expected except I was expecting one 66. I have no idea what they did, but whatever they did worked. I don't know an answer to your question, but in my case it worked out fine and the prints had to be on the coins for at least 8 months.
I agree with GDJMSP. The amino acids from a finger print are pretty permanent after a week or two, and no amount of cleaning will remove them. They can be temporarilly buffed out, but they will resurface after time...and at the expense of even more damage to your coin. However, if it's gold, the chemistry might be different. Guy~
Brian73, I have some questions 1) Did the fingerprints look like they were etched into the surface before you sent them in?? I experimented with some modern unc coins that I bought at the bank about 8 weeks ago and placed fingerprints on them. Well about 6 weeks later I tries various remedies to try and remove them and although I was able to get most of the prints off they still had little specs which basically are a telltale sign that a fingerprint was there, so although they removed most off the print it really didn't completely remove the whole prints. I tried vinegar and had the most luck, but the rubbing let fine line sratches. I tried olive ol and once again got most of the print off, but still had these little specks which seem to never come off. I guess I was wondering if your coins you got back from NCS had these little specs on them or are they completey free of any sign that a fingerprint was there?? Thanks
Something else to remember though - the TPG's will slab coins that have fingerprints on them. And even though the coin is slabbed and the fingerprints are not readily visible - that is no guarantee that the fingerprints will not return on the coin while it is in the slab. Sometimes it takes a while. Also, there are coin dips that can be used that will remove fingerprints permanently. But these dips also remove a fine layer of metal from the coin. And these dipped coins will then be slabbed by the TPG's.
