Is There A Way To Bring Out Grill Details?

This is a 15 cent Lincoln (used) with a very light grill. Using a magnifying glass I'm pretty sure it is a Sc# 98 with an F grill. But it is so faint. Are there any tricks for being able to bring out the details of a pressed-out grill like this?

Find a piece of scrap paper and fill in a small area with soft pencil and then touch the pencil with the tip of your finger and rub lightly over the grill points. Alternatively, try dipping the stamp in lighter fluid. It is often possible to see the entire grill in oblique light without having to highlight the grill with graphite.

With computer magnification and ability to change colors/sharpness/exposure/contrast, I would think you would be capable of seeing grill even if pressed out. I tried different settings but I'm not convinced this stamp is grilled but perhaps there are some grill points where arrow points to. Is this the area you suspect the grill is? Problem here is you start to imagine every little bump is a grill, but in reality there is no grill

Does anyone have experience in using computer enhancement rather than soaking a stamp or rubbing it ( I would worry about damage in these cases)

Here is as good as I was able to get it with a little graphite and holding the stamp up at an angle to the light. Not sure why the uploader turned it sideways. Anyway with my naked eye and a magnifier I'm pretty convinced F grill is correct.

Lightly with graphite is still the most widely used method; the trick is to have a very light touch. Very little is needed to bring a grill up.

Nice... I see it clearly now

I agree with your reading of the grill as an F grill; 12x15 rows and columns for sure, but seeing a few straggler "possibles" above (to the left as rotated) in the pic.