Do fingerprints on older coins annoy you or do you really not care?

brccoins · January 3, 2006 10:58AM

Personally, I cannot stand fingerprints on any coins regardless of date. I see so many older coins plastered with fingerprints and it just disgusts me.

airplanenut · January 3, 2006 11:02AM

It depends on the coin--a very light print that's not noticeable I might not mind--a huge print that is terribly distracting is a no-no.

For example, there's a print on the ear of this coin that can only be seen under the right light at a few angles--hardly a distraction, and I love the toning, so no problem with it...

TheRaven · January 3, 2006 11:03AM

I would say it depends on the coin.....

TwoSides2aCoin · January 3, 2006 11:08AM

The only thing worse than fingerprints on coins are my girlfriend's "buttprints in the sand as we stroll along the beach" <----plagiarism

tradedollarnut · January 3, 2006 11:10AM

A light print on silver doesn't bother me much at all. A big black ugly one on red copper does.

ldhair · January 3, 2006 11:11AM

This one cost me $12 a few years back.
I still like it.

Justhavingfun · January 3, 2006 11:14AM

I find the fingerprints very distracting. I have a beautiful 3 cent silver grade Proof 68 by NGC. Great toning. But I remember the finger print.

lathmach · January 3, 2006 11:17AM

<< <i>Personally, I cannot stand fingerprints on any coins regardless of date. I see so many older coins plastered with fingerprints and it just disgusts me. >>

Just so we all understand you better...................................................
You personally do not touch any coins without soft cotton gloves on any of your daily acts of commerce, right? You wouldn't want some future generation of coin collectors to get a hold of some 2005 penny you touched that has your fingerprint on it, right?
Coins were made for using in conducting the business of buying and selling things.
Geeze, people USED them. They TOUCHED them when they used them.
They might just have *fingerprints* on them because of that.

Ray

Shamika · January 3, 2006 11:29AM

On a mint state coin, the word "annoy" doesn't begin to describe it.

dizzyfoxx · January 3, 2006 11:41AM

<< <i>The only thing worse than fingerprints on coins are my girlfriend's "buttprints in the sand as we stroll along the beach" <----plagiarism

>>

I'll be the judge of that!

BigD5 · January 3, 2006 11:55AM

In general, I can't stand fingerprints. There have been exceptions, but on unc. coins, I'm usually not a buyer. Circ. stuff, it's part of circulating, and I can bend if it's a tougher to find coin.

I look at it as all being part of the eye appeal of a certain coin. Some people can tolerate certain factors that effect the overall eye appeal of a coin, others don't have that same level of tolerance, whether it be marks, prints, stains, whatever.......

stman · January 3, 2006 12:18PM

Please don't me me started.

Yes coins were made for circulation, and made to be touched. A couple lines on a tough coin, or an original lookin'
old classic I might be able to tolerate.

It's mainly the greasy, slimy prints right in your face that drive me nuts. Then the sellers tell me "Oh, it might be a print but it's not obtrusive." LOL
Or, or, it's the prints that I can just imagine some slimy crack-out guy sitting there, with sweat and grease dripping from his fore-head. Shaking with greed, and putting his "Non-obtrusive" prints all over the coin.

Of course some folks call them "Textile" to try and justify the nasty things. Heh

oldcameoproofsguy · January 3, 2006 12:55PM

I don't mind a light fingerprint on a silver bust coin. I usually buy them in AU condition so a fingerprint is almost expected. Sometimes the ancient fingerprints give them a little character.

michael · January 3, 2006 1:41PM

it all depends on the fingerprint and the look of the coins

mostly they bother me but sometimes not

it all depends on the coin with many mitigating factors

sometimes fingerprints are a positive thing on a coin but to understand this and see this for yourself in the rare situation that it is a positive thing

ms70 · January 3, 2006 1:47PM

There's nothing I hate more. I refuse to have a fingerprint on any coin in my collection. What's even worse is when I ask an online seller if there's prints on a coin, they
say "no", and then proceed to send me a coin with a VERY visible print that they couldn't have missed. I send them right back. It amazes me how many times this has happened.

Coinosaurus · January 3, 2006 2:14PM

I notice the cataloguers like to call them "finger marks", which doesn't sound quite as bad as "fingerprints".

EJB · January 3, 2006 2:16PM

..........I HATE coins with fingerprints on them.......I've bought coins off the net only to recieve them and find fingerprints.....I've sent All of them back......

beep · January 3, 2006 2:26PM

Me YES, I think fingerprints are a shame. I've got a coin or two that I think the fingerprint is a sizable distraction that should be accounted for when graded imho.

mozin · January 4, 2006 1:40AM

Still having a terrible problem with the CU forum trying to place comments into threads.

For MS coins I simply will not buy one with an obvious fingerprint. For AU grade Bust Series coins I would buy even with a fingerprint, unless it dominated the look of the coin.

mgoodm3 · January 4, 2006 1:45AM

Subtle, no problem. Obvious, don't like.

BuffQuarter · January 4, 2006 2:24AM

Now what if you had an ms copper with Virgil Brands fingerprint right smack in the middle. Personally, I think it would add value.

Do fingerprints on older coins annoy you or do you really not care?

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