Are these 3 US coins PMD?

Yeah, it went the same way with me. Couldn't imagine a PMD'd Zlincoln without exposing zinc. Final answer (in my head) was you can't get letters to look like that from the Mint - ain't on the die - so by default it had to be PMD and a lucky hit.

Speaking of "in my head," having been enlisted, every time I answer one of your posts I call you "Sir" there.

 

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Yes, it is vexing, I'm thinking it's got something to do with the strike, either strike through, grease, or weird hit.

 

Well, let's posit that somehow the die shifted during the instant of strike, while receding from the planchet. It's within the realm of wild-eyed imagination that such a scenario could conceivably cause the letters to "smear" in that fashion.

But then it'd inevitably crack the outer coating, wouldn't it?

It's a headbanger, that's for sure.

 

May I ask if you've ever used anything stronger than 10x? If not, you may want to see if you can try different strengths in person before deciding (easier said than done, I know). I have a 16x around here somewhere that was always more than enough and of decent optical quality, but I don't recall its brand (if any). I'll see if I can find it....

That said, my normal glass for a number of years was an Eschenbach 3x6x9x, but I realize you're looking for something stronger. I'm not sure if Eschenbach makes anything suitable, but if willing to pay up for quality, you may want to look into it. Zeiss is another fine maker, but again I don't know offhand if they have anything that would fit your needs. If you are willing to buy better glass, check out Otto Frei. I purchased my second Eschenbach from them and they were significantly cheaper than the likes of Amazon or eBay, plus if I recall correctly, they carry a number of different brands.

 

Another advantage of the imagery system I'm so rabid about is it makes loupes something you only use away from home....

 

Your #1 coin is a struck through grease. Well, most likely the die is filled with plating from all the other coins prior to that one being punched out. The lines are from the pressman trying to keep up with the die getting filled. This is a very common occurrence for these early year zincolns. You can find them in varying degrees of how much of "United States of America" is missing. I've seen them get as far down as the E Pluribus and most of States missing. Most of the time it is the last S in States and the O in of. I don't keep these because they seem to be more common than a properly struck coin.

 

Why not PM Mike Diamond and ask him to look at this thread?

 

Ever see a flatly struck Morgan dollar with all the planchet striations through the flat area over the ear?

Guess a better example would be found on blank cent planchets at coin shows for less than $3 each!

 

gronnh20, posted: Your #1 coin is a struck through grease." Actually this is a very common misconception. Read explanation (Post#12) at the beginning of this thread. I should write that all this is just my opinion. "Well, most likely the die is filled with plating from all the other coins prior to that one being punched out. The lines are from the pressman trying to keep up with the die getting filled." Unfortunately this is also nonsense - and just my opinion. "This is a very common occurrence for these early year zinc colns." True! They are a dime a dozen. "You can find them in varying degrees of how much of "United States of America" is missing. I've seen them get as far down as the E Pluribus and most of States missing. Most of the time it is the last S in States and the O in of. I don't keep these because they seem to be more common than a properly struck coin." I spend them too.

 

I'm certain these are quite common, and if it wasn't my birth year, it would have been discarded. But since they are such a common occurrence, how come no one knows how it occurs??

 

I do appreciate the input. I am not willing to spend money on a nice Eschenbach just yet, but they do make some very nice ones. I just need something that can get my eyes a little closer to that surface to see if it is raised or not.

 

I admittedly have no idea who that is...

 

Understandable... Still, check out Otto Frei. I quickly scanned their offerings and they've a number of lesser expensive models that may suit your needs. Their own brand, Hastings, etc... No matter your choice though, good luck!

 

@Seattlite86

I forgot to mention this, and do assume it's something you've already considered, but just in case.... be sure to pay attention to the diameter of whatever loupe you look at. I cannot say if this is the case today, but I've seen a number of higher magnification loupes that were surprisingly small. As an example, somewhere around here I have one that was given to me many, many years ago that's a bit smaller than a pencil eraser. It would work in a pinch, I suppose, but isn't something you'd want to use regularly. Not that all are like this, but still I felt it worth mentioning.