A very difficult quiz for the weekend. What caused this characteristic?

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Insider, Jul 23, 2021.

?

What caused this mark?

  1. Strike thru.

  2. Planchet flaw.

  3. Scratch.

  4. Die Crack.

  5. Lamination.

  6. Damage.

  7. None of the above.

Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. Insider

    Insider Talent on loan from...

    Clues describing the mark will be given out slowly by me; however, if a member wishes to describe in a sentence exactly what they see, I will copy any correct descriptions.

    Example: The mark has the shape of the letter "Q."
    Example: The mark is a dirt streak. It is black and long with rough granular borders.
    Example: The mark is a scratch because...

    IMG_5896.JPG
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2021
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  3. GH#75

    GH#75 Trying to get 8 hours of sleep in 4. . .

    My guess is lamination or a die clash... But I dont see what you're describing as a mark that looks like a "Q", I only see a vertical line that goes across the monitcello building.

    I'd like to see what everyone else has to say on this - I don't have an answer as of now.
     
  4. Robert Ransom

    Robert Ransom Well-Known Member

    For us old guys, your photo really doesn't cut it. :(
     
    charley, paddyman98, sel w and 3 others like this.
  5. SensibleSal66

    SensibleSal66 U.S Casual Collector / Error Collector

    Not a Lamination or die clash . I agree , Better Pics.
     
    sel w likes this.
  6. Lem E

    Lem E Well-Known Member

    Assuming the line is raised, I would say it is a die crack as this is a very common place on nickels for a die to fail.
     
  7. expat

    expat Remember you are unique, just like everyone else Supporter

    Light from right is hitting a raised edge, but the surface to the left of it appears slightly raised. IMO it is a lamination crack
     
    sel w likes this.
  8. SensibleSal66

    SensibleSal66 U.S Casual Collector / Error Collector

    From where I'm sitting, It looks like a Scratch .:(
     
    sel w and spirityoda like this.
  9. SensibleSal66

    SensibleSal66 U.S Casual Collector / Error Collector

    Scratch ! :facepalm:
     
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  10. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    Just so I'm clear we are talking about the same thing - are we discussing the line that starts near the center of the bottom of the middle portico, goes up across the top of the third column, and into the dome to the left of the right-most window?

    Facts:
    I'd describe it as a thin, irregular line, located in the aforementioned spot.

    The line is not straight.

    It is of fairly uniform width, although appears slightly thinner at the bottom.

    Strong light source from the right side of the picture, and this shows up brightly.

    Deductions:
    The brightness of the line, given the light source, implies some raised metal.

    While this is a common spot for die cracks, this mark does not behave like a die crack. See below for a typical die crack in this area (pictures from cuds-on-coins.com).

    The fact that the line is of the same thickness steers me away from die breaks (those tend to be more variable in width, and more "jagged" - I don't think that's exactly the right word, but imaging the effect of breaking, rather than scratching)

    The tapering at the bottom leads me towards a scratch - the pressure was less at this portion of the coin.

    So... that's a long-winded way of explaining why it looks like a staple scratch to me. More clues, or more pictures, may change my mind.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  11. CoinCorgi

    CoinCorgi Tell your dog I said hi!

    Looks like a fiber on the airtite capsule the picture is taken through.
     
    sel w likes this.
  12. ToughCOINS

    ToughCOINS Dealer Member Moderator

    The image is pretty difficult for me to see well, but I think I see signs of a planchet lamination, folded and struck into the coin.
     
    sel w and Penny Luster like this.
  13. Dave Waterstraat

    Dave Waterstraat Well-Known Member

    The light suggests that the line is raised so my initial guess is box cutter damage.

    But I do like @ToughCOINS 's hypothesis. That's thinking out side of the box...
     
    sel w likes this.
  14. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    I can't see it very well. Looks like a scratch.
     
    sel w likes this.
  15. Jaelus

    Jaelus The Hungarian Antiquarian Supporter

  16. Insider

    Insider Talent on loan from...

    OK, very bad image (as usual from me). Try as I may, I could not catch the biggest clue. I almost decided to delete this quiz because it is not fair at all. However, I decided to post it anyway so we could learn from all the guesses.

    This is a closer look.

    IMG_5895.JPG

    You can argue that my image can look like any of the poll choices. So all of you are correct! Unfortunately, I'm the only one who saw the actual coin. That's why I decided to go ahead and post the quiz.

    BTW, I really like the way/effort Physics explains what he sees. We can all learn a lot more from each other if all of us would post this way!

    Let's describe why some of the choices might be right
    1. Strike thru.
    2. Planchet flaw.
    3. Scratch.
    • Die Crack.
    • Lamination.
    • Damage.
    The mark appears to be INTO the coin's surface so it could 1,2,3,5,6.
    The die break (4) would be raised. Let's eliminate the lamination because the sides of the mark are probably too far apart and no peeling is visible. That leaves choices 1,2,3,6 and none of the above.

    What if I told you that the coin's surface on each side of the line are at different levels?
     
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  17. longshot

    longshot Enthusiast Supporter

    I think it's a little bit of a "step", not just a line...so going with die crack, or a die that is about to break.

    Edit: Ha! I didn't read the last post above.
     
    Cliff Reuter and Insider like this.
  18. CamaroDMD

    CamaroDMD [Insert Clever Title] Supporter

    It looks like a strike through to me. It appears to be an indented line on the coin but I see no evidence that something was raked across the coin and displaced metal (which would be a scratch). It looks like something was on top of the planchet (maybe a small piece of metal wire) that was stamped into the coin when it was struck.

    Note…I did not read any of the posts after the OP so my thoughts could already be disproved.
     
    sel w likes this.
  19. Insider

    Insider Talent on loan from...

    You should have.

    longshot, posted: "I think it's a little bit of a "step", not just a line...so going with die crack, or a die that is about to break."

    So if there is a "step" (I couldn't get it to show) that indicates a part of the surface is above another part so some sort of die break is back in the running.
     
    sel w likes this.
  20. CamaroDMD

    CamaroDMD [Insert Clever Title] Supporter

    Normally I do. I’m currently on a family vacation sneaking views and posts on my phone. I don’t have the ability to sit and read a whole thread. I’m currently sitting in a hotel room in Norfolk, VA as my two kids run around the room. We are going to leave to see the battleship Wisconsin in about an hour.
     
    dwhiz, sel w, Bradley Trotter and 3 others like this.
  21. GH#75

    GH#75 Trying to get 8 hours of sleep in 4. . .

    I changed my mind - I believe it is a strike through.
     
    sel w likes this.
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