While roll searching I came across these 2 1982P nickels. I noticed that on one the details and mottoes were larger and softer while on the other the details were sharper. I'm guessing that one was struck through grease? Anything would help.
Certainly possible the one was struck through grease. It's also possible it is just from a later die stage.
I found another like it, both have the mottoes faded around the word "WE" indicating struck through grease. Is it possible that this may be a new common error?
I Agree I bet on a later die worned down by useage..more so than a grease strike but like GDJMSP said any thing is possible. Thanks Sam You can tell by what my eyes see as orange peel like surface
Nothing new about it, but coins struck through grease are quite common and always have been in the modern age. But worn out dies produce coins that look very similar too. So pinning down the reason to a certainty is all but impossible unless other tell tale signs are also present.
Again I believe die erosion also ...remember that these dies get one heck of a work out to begin with and Phily gets even more a work out with the coins produced at that mint.I have found more nickel errors from Phily compared to the other two mints.
Appears to be classic case of die erosion with the drifting of the elements towards the rim. The composition of 25% nickel makes these coins one tough cookies to strike up. Also, with close to 300 million produced just at Philadelphia, the dies used there in the early 80's really took a beating. Happy Collecting
With the addition of nickel and and thicker planchets, the steel dies take more of a beating than other dies that get used a lot less that the higher denomination ones. Thus the need to soften the planchets.