Is this struck through grease?

Or just weird die wear? It's really conspicuous even without magnification.

 

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Can we see the whole coin please. Might have a better idea what's going on here.

 

I will guess it has something to do with how the numbers were punched into the die.

 

I'm no expert or even a specialist but I smell grease on the bowling lanes.
Grease filled die. Search Results for “grease filled die” (error-ref.com)

 

Here are the varieties for the 1887 IHC. Maybe you can find a match.
Definitive Reference For Indian Cent Die Varieties (indiancentvarieties.com)