I came across this 1954 S Lincoln cent today that is missing the A & M in America on the reverse. I've read about missing letters before, but wanted to get everyone's take on this. Is there any rarity or value to something like this, or just a common minting error? Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures, was trying to get a close up with my Loupes. Thanks!
It's difficult to see in the pictures, but I have a hard time believing they have been scratched off... only because of the wear patterns around the area. Below where the A and M would be is blurry because I was at the edges of the loupe. There is virtually no noticable big scratches on the coin.
I would have to say that the letters have been cut, gouged, or scratched off the coin. You can see the little pit, as coinmaster said, but you can also faintly see a faint "E" before the "R" that wasn't fully removed.
