Calling @rmpsrpms And His photomacrography Skills

OAKSTAR

There's been talk about fingerprints on coins over the months. If fingerprints (like the ones below) cannot be removed with acetone, they may be baked "onto" the surface or etched "into" the surface.

If you had coins like these, would you be able to work your magic and see a 3D supermicro rendering to determine if the fingerprint is on the surface of the coin or etched into the surface destroying the metal? Thanks!

rmpsrpms

I've done a bit of surface analysis of toned coins in the past, showing that the toning creates a surface "crust" when viewed and lit properly. I expect fingerprints will be similar, and imaging them would have the advantage of un-damaged areas right next to the damaged ones for comparison. Often folks will attempt to "remove" fingerprints by dipping, but there is probably still a trace of the damage left. If you want to send me a couple examples with what you consider "baked-in" fingerprints and I'll see what they look like in high resolution. Would also be nice if you had one that has been dipped to compare.

OAKSTAR

@rmpsrpms said:
I've done a bit of surface analysis of toned coins in the past, showing that the toning creates a surface "crust" when viewed and lit properly. I expect fingerprints will be similar, and imaging them would have the advantage of un-damaged areas right next to the damaged ones for comparison. Often folks will attempt to "remove" fingerprints by dipping, but there is probably still a trace of the damage left. If you want to send me a couple examples with what you consider "baked-in" fingerprints and I'll see what they look like in high resolution. Would also be nice if you had one that has been dipped to compare.

Great idea! Let me go thru some stuff. Thanks!