x's scratched into coins.

I see a lot of older coins ranging from bust coins to barber coins. Quite a few "problem coins" I see have x's scratched into them.

It's not like someone carved an x into them with a very sharp knife, but a light x that is not very deep.

What was the point for someone doing this?

 

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Defaced Die possibly

Edit: nevermind you said thin;

No idea

 

Probably just to annoy you Detecto.

 

so someone years later could start a thread about it on a coin forum.

 

You read my mind. But I warn you it's scary in there!

 

Not as scary as another who shall remain nameless

 

I always figured it as either an evil younger brother/sister or Ex-girlfriend/wife/husband/boyfriend getting bit of revenge. (I also hear dragons mark their coins that way so they can identify them.) either way is annoying (cept when it lets me get a nice coin for $20, I could not put in my set otherwise )

 

you are in love right now as indicates your profile... One day, you may find yourself getting married to your true love. She will find out over the years (if in your case, over the hours or days) that you love your coins more than any other object that you desire. She is woman (I'm assuming) and woman thinks slightly different than man (IMHO). So one day it slips her mind that you indeed love your coins far more than you could ever love her or any other human being. Long story short, long and up-all-night fighting, she carves an X or some other creative style graffiti all over what she deems the cause of a soon to be divorce...and so have you. It's like a haircut, once they cut it too short, forgetaboutit

Im happily married... so none of my coins have X's carved on them either... Yet

good luck either way buddy

 

They were just coins then, available in circulation, few collectors, easy soft material to test the fineness of engraving tools or remove rust or dry blood off of steel scalpel blades, I could think of many such instruments I would like a piece of silver or copper to test on. I bet you don't find many such scratches on copper nickel coins.

 

I used to do it to the rejects when breaking up mint sets for submission. X meant spend it.

 

What is the simplest mark to make? A line. If you make two lines they can either not touch, make a V, a T, or make an X. For some reason when a person makes two lines they are more likely to make an X than a V, T, or ll. Besides if you are a little slopply with your cuts the V or T becomes an X.

 

Fyp

 

Another thought I have.

I've read of some very eccentric people. I guess someone could collect a bunch of rare, expensive coins, then when they die, order that they all be scratched.

 

This forum has plenty of eccentric people! Not sure about the expensive rare coin part, but I doubt any would have them scratched. Put into a museum or numismatic trust, or buried with them perhaps, but not damage.

 

If its not the wealthy old coin hoarders with nothing better to do than outbid you at auctions, its the eccentric dead ones damaging theirs just to get your goad. Darn the luck!

 

I think I'm going to buy a couple rare coins and then scratch the heck out of them. Just so the OP can't have a good coin.

 

Here's a scratched (called a grafitti coin)1971 English 5p in my collection. It wasn't done randomly but for a reason. It was common for Irish Nationalist groups like the IRA or INLA to deface the Queen to show their disdan for the royal family. This could be classified as a political protest coin not uncommonly seen on circulating coins during the Troubles (1969-1998). Other defacements included eyes scratched out, cuts across the neck and holes punched through her head.

Bruce

 

I like that answer

 

Only took you 10 years, 5 months and 1 day. You go girl. Lol