Should PCGS graders be fingerprinted??

Lakesammman

There have been alot of posts re: fingerprinted coins. Are their any law enforcement people reading this?? If so, would it be useful to fingerprint PCGS graders to prove that:

1. The fingerprint belongs to the PCGS "crack out staff" or the grader and not the owner??

2. Is there any biological material retreivable in a fingerprint that could match it to the owner??

At the very least, the PCGS staff would be more careful and perhaps would start wearing gloves!

Spooly

David Hall told me...... "It's a free service" stop complaining!

kieferscoins

I say no. Stop the fingerprints from eeryone and not go after the employees like they are criminals. Change policy, procedure etc like mentioned or try to fix them another way.

Cameron Kiefer

mr3holesinone

I suggested this earlier. If the grading services were to fingerprint their employees, proof one way or the other would be shown. Until such time that a lawsuit is brought forth for this offense or the problem gets bad enough for business to be lost, the grading services will have to be proactive to get this done.

As we all know, fingerprints are unique. Each fingerprint is different. No biological material has to be found if a print can be matched up with another. You wouldn't even have to crack open a slab, just take a picture of it and run it through the fingerprint matching program.

Has anyone found their coins to have what appear to be matching prints on them?

FatMan

Fingerprinting employees is a little drastic to solve this simple problem. If I were David Hall I would put cotton gloves on all employees that have any contact with the coins ASAP. Make a policy that any employee caught touching a coin with ungloved hands will be terminated. This added procedure/policy would eliminate the issue.

One of the first things I learned is that MS/PR coins should only be handled with gloved hands. Even the most experienced coin handlers inadvertantly touch the face of coins at times.

michael

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sincerely michael

EVillageProwler

As we all know, fingerprints are unique.

OT: Is the above statement still true for identical twins?

EVP

EVillageProwler

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry, Michael, but are you sure about your answer?



EVP

leothelyon

Who wants to play detective? We only need the graders fingerprints. Does anyone have some ingenious ideas how to get them?

Leo

Lakesammman

I didn't commit in my earlier post....I think it's a great idea. If they can fingerprint innocent people for cashing checks, certainly they can do it to protect the integrity of a business. There are many businesses where it's done and is part of impressing on the employee the importance of their job.

If someone steals value from you (making a gem worthless), there should be some justice. Even if not a criminal offense, it would at least put some meaningful "teeth" into PCGS's guarantee, allowing collectors to be rightfully reimbursed and providing PCGS the means to justify firing careless employees that are damaging it's reputation.

The lack of such a policy inhibits me from sending in copper for regrading.

michael

evp......lol i always love your threads and posts!!

well for me i can certianly see your point lake
and it is well taken!!!
and i am extremely hesitant even to send in coins for submission/regrade/designation review as i am scared of damage/fingerprints to certain delicate coins

but if you start this fingerprint thing

and it has to come to this because of overall carelesses and unprofessionalism then

the grading services are starting to become worthless in my eyes

but as an edited add on there is always the hope that things can change at the grading services for the better with regard to the handling of coins sent in for submission!!

sincerely michael

MastaHanky

<< Is there any biological material retreivable in a fingerprint that could match it to the owner?? >>

Biological material?

*shudder*

That could give us way more information than we would ever want to know.

KoinKollector

<< <i>As we all know, fingerprints are unique.

OT: Is the above statement still true for identical twins?

EVP >>




No... they share same DNA, same fingerprints...etc etc... If you got a twin, go commint a crime and blame it on your twin, then have your twin blame it on you.

greghansen

Didn't expect to be able to use anything from my former life as a prosecutor on these boards. Identical twins have 'similar' not 'identical' fingerprints. They are distinguishable.

http://www.forensic-evidence.com/site/ID/ID_Twins.html

See the link for additional info on that issue.

Many 'non-criminal' types are fingerprinted routinely. Even police officers are routinely printed in case experts ever have to eliminate them as a possible source of prints found at a crime scene where they worked.

I think the idea of fingerprinted staff is a good idea, ONLY IF, the clowns won't voluntarily adopt mandatory protocol requiring all staff having contact with coins to wear gloves. Of course its a two edged sword. Staff wearing gloves may be less careful about the manner they handle coins, and even a cotton glove can leave a nice smudge on delicate proof surfaces if the coin is carelessly handled.

Greg Hansen
Melbourne, FL

BAJJERFAN

Maybe all of those folks who have coins with prints on them should send them in for review; guarantee; fixing, dipping or whatever in the SAME week. They would be so swamped that maybe they might get the message that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.