Fingerprints In A Proof Set

No it does not look to have been cut. And regarding getting them out, I mean the whole plastic sheet with the coins in it comes out. Almost certainly post mint.

When I say it is not fully open I just mean that the plastic is still sealed most of the way around. Sorry for the confusion.

I got 10x 79 type2 sets at a safe deposit box auction once when I was just syarting to shift to coins from stacking. I had just got a pcgs membership and they were doing a special on kennedys so I cracked em all and sent in the SBA's and kennedys. I remember it being hard as heck to open them with all the splintering of the plastic

I hear you. I find myself spending hours on this site that I should be spending on my homework, but it's hard to pass up such a great opportunity to talk about coins and access such a wealth of knowledge. If I had known about CCF, I would have joined 6 or 7 years ago.

That's how you post so much.

There was a story floating around several years ago. An inside gov't story, probably fake news. It apparently never made the news or press. Many years ago, an irate/disgruntled mint employee was maliciously, systematically and intentionally tagging mint sets, proof sets and commemoratives with his (or her) fingerprints before they were encased in the mints plastic cases or cellophane wrappers! Years later, these fingerprints started appearing on the coins. Many customers started complaining to the mint, writing letters, calling and sending back the sets they had purchased.

The key here is that the sets were directly purchased from the mint in original packaging, not bought second or third hand and tampered with. This was not a one-off problem for the mint. It was apparently a major problem and concern for them. The concern was brought to attention of high levels gov't officials. i,e;.. Mint Director, Treasury Secretary, etc...

As some of the above posts have shown, the fingerprints were distinctive, clear and identifiable. Convinced the fingerprints originated at the mint, these executives requested an FBI investigate.

The mint employee (he or she), obviously forgot they were federal employees and their fingerprints were on file in the FBI's civil fingerprint division. Long story short, the employee had retired years earlier and had since past away.

Like I said: An inside gov't story, probably fake news.

Now you can tell all your friends you heard it here first.