Fingerprint question?????

[craigdaniels-migration]

I understand NCS needs to see the coin to give an accurate opinion, but I'm hoping to get an answer which I realize is totally an opinion and you guys do need to see the coins to give a better idea on whether or not you can remove the fingerprints. I have about 30 coins with fingerprints that are Washington Presidential Dollars with the smooth edge. All the coins have fingerprints, yes call me stupid, I was a novice coin collector (still am) when I bought these at the bank and showed them off to friends and family who touched the fronts and back of the coins, but I did most of the touching myself. I realize these aren't the most valuable coins in the world and I realize they would cost about $15 to remove the fingerprints and I'm willing to pay it since I plan on keeping these for many years and don't want the coin looking like ...... 10 years from now. Ok, a few questions.

 

1) If NCS does remove the fingerprints or minimize the damage is it likely they will go to NGC to be graded?

 

2) The prints have been on the coins for about 8 months now, in general has too much time elapsed where there is nothing NCS can do to totally remove the prints?

 

3) Some of the coins do have little dark black spots within the lines of the fingerprint and I was wondering do those mean that they have penetrated the surface?

 

Once again, I realize without seeing the coins it is tough to get an accurate opinion, but I'm hoping from experience if you can tell me is there a general rule of thumb of how long a fingerprint can stay on a coin where it is likely that it could still be removed. I guess are we talking months or years? Thanks

[CHRISS]

There are several factors that will contribute to how successful we might be in removing a fingerprint from the coin. The one factor you certainly have on your side is time. The longer a print has been in the surface of a coin, the more time it has had to react with the surface metal and become permanent. What is actually in the print could also have a factor. Is it simply skin oils or are other substances also in the make up of the print.

 

It is likely that since the fingerprints have only been on the coin for such a short time that we would be successful in at least mostly removing the fingerprints from the surfaces of your coins.

 

Next time, only hold your coins by their edges.

 

Chris, NCS