Coin Community Family of Web Sites Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors
Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Specializing in Modern Numismatics Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer 300,000 items to help build your collection! Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors Shop for APMEX Bullion on eBay!Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

Finger Print On Morgan

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 8 / Views: 848Next Topic  
Pillar of the Community
mklpatrick's Avatar
United States
580 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  11:29 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add mklpatrick to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
What is the best way to get rid of an ugly finger print on a Morgan dollar? Acetone bath? I obviously don't want to rub it.
Bedrock of the Community
biokemist6's Avatar
United States
12437 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  11:58 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add biokemist6 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It depends on how fresh the fingerprint is. Over time, the organic acids in skin oil will etch the fingerprint into the surface of the coin and make it permanent
Acetone will remove fresh fingerprints but won't do anything for old ones. Nothing to lose by giving it a dunk, but it is possible that nothing will be gained either.
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  12:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
As already noted if the print has been there for a long period of time it may well have impregnated itself into the metal. Although even that can be removed but will always leave a mark where some of the metal has been also removed. Best leave it sit in Acetone for several days though. An extensive time in Acetone may remove the print either in part of completely. Other solvents would be more succesfull but would leave the coin in a what is known as a cleaned coin. I've had some luck with the jewelery cleaners sold at Walmart in finger print removal but the entire coin came out as really, really cleaned.
The main thing here is the value of the coin prior to cleaning. If it is a common coin, you've got not much to loose. If it's a valuable one, any cleaning may excessively deminish the value.
Pillar of the Community
mklpatrick's Avatar
United States
580 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  1:08 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mklpatrick to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Actually I just got it in through the mail today and it looks to me like the print may have been there a while. It's a common item - 1888. If I don't return it and decide to take the acetone route, do I need to seal the container (glass bowl, in this case) to keep the acetone from evaporating away?
Bedrock of the Community
BadThad's Avatar
United States
19942 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  3:05 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BadThad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yes, acetone is very volitile and will rapidly evaporate....cover it tightly.
Lincoln Cent Lover!
VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR
https://verdi.care/
Pillar of the Community
mklpatrick's Avatar
United States
580 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  3:12 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mklpatrick to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks Thad...I was actually waiting on your response here after I sent up the "Bat Signal" with a cleaning question!

Thanks for the help, Carl and Bio-K!

Mike
Moderator
Learn More...
SsuperDdave's Avatar
United States
23522 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  6:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add SsuperDdave to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Do not seal it tightly. Gasoline is like an inert substance compared to acetone's volatility, and knowing I had a container pressure-sealed against acetone in my house would make me a very nervous boy indeed. Better to just cover an open container with a pane of glass or something, and expect to add acetone over a few days. You'll want to change it after the first 24 hours or so, anyways, to remove whatever has been pulled off the coin into solution.
Pillar of the Community
mklpatrick's Avatar
United States
580 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  6:32 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mklpatrick to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
OK...so from what you are saying I should not put the coin in an acetone bath in a Pyrex dish, tightly seal it, place it on my grill and boil it up for a while?

Pillar of the Community
xshift's Avatar
United States
2669 Posts
 Posted 07/21/2008  8:08 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add xshift to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
  Previous TopicReplies: 8 / Views: 848Next Topic  

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.27 seconds to rattle this change. Forums