finger prints

[wilky1]

Hi,

 

How do I go about safly removing a finger print from a silver proof coin?

 

Martin.

[BackyardBullion]

I do this for my BU coins.

Proof coins might be more damaged by this process though so do it at your own risk!

 

[Martlet]

Gently I'd imagine

I've seen soapy water and wipe with soft cloth suggested, some debate on whether acetone should be involved or not.

[sixgun]

Numistacker suggested to me, for gold coins, i try neat fairy liquid and massage the coin with bare fingers. i have also done this on some older, bit knackered silver BU coins as well. They looked better afterwards but i have no experience with silver proofs and did not use a loupe before and after.

You could invest in a loupe magnifier so you could assess the coin's surface - then try it out on a BU coin that would not matter - it does not matter if there are no fingerprints, the question is whether of not using Fairy Liquid and gently rubbing the coin's surface damages it all all. 

i have then rinsed the coin is hot water, ideally this would be pure water with no mineral content, then shaken the coin hard for excess water to come off and finally allowed it to air dry or placed it on an absorbent cloth but never rubbed it with the cloth.

[Pete]

If the fingerprint is relatively new ( say under one year old ) it can be removed with care but if it is older it may have damaged/ etched the surface and whilst it can be removed it will leave a slight blemish that can be spotted when viewed at grazing angles of incidence under good light. How this looks also depends on where it is and if in the middle of a highly polished field.

My method is to use a cotton bud dipped in acetone and keeping the bud wet simply roll it ( by twisting ) on the spot very gently.
The acetone evaporates extremely quickly so try and keep the area you are cleaning wet with acetone.
Avoid pressure and just let the weight of the saturated cotton bud do its work.

Rinse the coin in hand hot water with washing up liquid, use another cotton bud like before over the affected area whilst the coin remains wet, rinse in hand-hot clean water then immediately pat dry with absorbent paper like kitchen roll.
Do not rub just press down and move the coin several times onto dry parts of the paper to get all the water off the surface.
I have never had to rinse in distilled water as by doing this you avoid droplets than can leave small ring marks.

Inspect the coin at various angles and if the mark hasn't been fully removed repeat the process.

Good luck and hope you are successful but you may find a blemish but at least you should not have added fine scratch lines using this method.

 

[Kman]

Are we talking a £30 proof silver coin or a £500 proof silver coin?

[whitesands1]

3 hours ago, Martlet said:

Gently I'd imagine

I've seen soapy water and wipe with soft cloth suggested, some debate on whether acetone should be involved or not.

I'd advise listening to those who have knowledge in this area rather than further damaging the coins.

[whitesands1]

3 hours ago, Pete said:

If the fingerprint is relatively new ( say under one year old ) it can be removed with care but if it is older it may have damaged/ etched the surface and whilst it can be removed it will leave a slight blemish that can be spotted when viewed at grazing angles of incidence under good light. How this looks also depends on where it is and if in the middle of a highly polished field.

My method is to use a cotton bud dipped in acetone and keeping the bud wet simply roll it ( by twisting ) on the spot very gently.
The acetone evaporates extremely quickly so try and keep the area you are cleaning wet with acetone.
Avoid pressure and just let the weight of the saturated cotton bud do its work.

Rinse the coin in hand hot water with washing up liquid, use another cotton bud like before over the affected area whilst the coin remains wet, rinse in hand-hot clean water then immediately pat dry with absorbent paper like kitchen roll.
Do not rub just press down and move the coin several times onto dry parts of the paper to get all the water off the surface.
I have never had to rinse in distilled water as by doing this you avoid droplets than can leave small ring marks.

Inspect the coin at various angles and if the mark hasn't been fully removed repeat the process.

Good luck and hope you are successful but you may find a blemish but at least you should not have added fine scratch lines using this method.

 

Also consider a hair dryer to remove the water to minimise contact with the coin.  Also remember if you do make a mistake then there is no way back.  Not easy!

[wilky1]

Hi,

 

Thank you for the replys, it is a 1 Kilo sydney Olympic 30 dollar coin that was at auction described as FDC  I paid very little for it but am still really peed off as it is not as per the catalog. The reverse is just as bad.

It is to me just a lump of silver thats nice to look at when it should have been a joy to look at.

Wilky

 

[wilky1]

45 minutes ago, Kman said:

Are we talking a £30 proof silver coin or a £500 proof silver coin?

£1699.95 at the London Coin Company....lol

 

[Kman]

3 minutes ago, wilky1 said:

£1699.95 at the London Coin Company....lol

 

so £30  lol

If it's an expensive coin though I would probably pay to have it "restored" professionally https://www.ngccoin.com/ncs-conservation/

@Numistacker would be the man to talk about that 

[shawy2510]

so £30 [emoji14] lol
If it's an expensive coin though I would probably pay to have it "restored" professionally [mention=378]Numistacker[/mention] would be the man to talk about that 

+1 maybe worth a try. I had a 2017 Sovereign I bought blind at an auction & it was covered with prints. Numi sent it away & came back perfect even came back as a PF70

[wilky1]

3 minutes ago, Kman said:

so £30  lol

If it's an expensive coin though I would probably pay to have it "restored" professionally https://www.ngccoin.com/ncs-conservation/

@Numistacker would be the man to talk about that 

I will have to have a chat with him and just see how viable it is as the coin has a lot of rim scratchs

 

[Kman]

1 minute ago, wilky1 said:

I will have to have a chat with him and just see how viable it is as the coin has a lot of rim scratchs

 

oh, maybe you should post pics?

I think id have been more concerned with the scratches than finger prints  

[wilky1]

2 minutes ago, Kman said:

oh, maybe you should post pics?

I think id have been more concerned with the scratches than finger prints  

I have posted pic's