Hi all, Just purchased this nickel off the 'bay, since the pictures made the coin look rather interesting. Wondering what you all think the coin is -- Prooflike, Cleaned, or simply BU? There's a ton of scratches on the coin, which would indicate harsh cleaning or polish marks (indicating an early strike). There seems to be a lot of early mint frost on the coin, though it's not confined to the devises which is strange. Thoughts? Seller's pictures below (unedited); I'll post my own pictures once it comes in the mail.
The lines on the reverse in particular don't appear to go onto the devices ... wouldn't this indicate some sort of die alteration?
Are those lines on the reverse continuing over the surface of the BIG V on the reverse? I don't see it happening on my screen so I think the lines are on the die and probably raised on the coin. It doesn't look like a proof to me when I look at the rims.
It's a very nice strike and specimen of the 1883 Liberty nickel ...however it looks to me that it's been wiped. maybe to try to restore the luster...but the scratches are there...
the lines go under the devices and continue on the other side if it was wiped or harshly cleaned they would go over the devices. Please point out where you see the lines go over the devices.
I'm looking at the obv. and the scratches are going in different directions like a coin that's been wiped.
Since the lines don't appear to cross the devices, I think it might be die polishing. Could they be roller marks on the planchet? I don't know. Chris
Early die state, I would definitely agree with die polishing not scratches. I don't know if it could get a PL designation, but it's a great find!
Thanks for all the replies so far. The crisscrossed-scratches don't necessarily indicate cleaning; (assuming that they're polish marks) it just means that a mint worker had a bit of fun on this die, lol. If you zoom in on the picture you'll notice that the scratches don't interfere with the devices' frost -- you can see this most notably around the "V" on the reverse. Normal scratches; especially with the magnitude, would definitely leave a mark on the V as it passes over it. Polish marks (as said by everyone else) go under the devices. Another interesting thing to note is that the coin has no die breaks/cracks; another indicator of an early strike since a lot of 1883s had a form of a die crack or another.
You can check if it is proof like yourself. Hold it at the end of a ruler and see what the highest number you can read from the coins reflection. If I recall correctly, for a coin to be considered PL the reflectivity must be so many inches...for some reason 8" is coming to mind. I think that may be for Morgans to get the DMPL notation.
Only because I'm a picky Virgo, technically speaking, the polishing marks don't go under the devices. They just don't exist at all on the coin because the devices are the lower points on the die, so the polishing passes over the recesses of the devices without touching them. The only exception to this is when the dies have been overpolished, and some parts of the devices disappear altogether by blending into the fields. Chris
The weakness in detail on the left ear of corn is common on the business strikes. Is that a clear indication it's a business strike, or does that exist on the proofs as well? The star detail is certainly strong on the obverse.
