This 1864 Guernesey 8 Doubles has some weird lettering on one side, looks like it was cut out using a pastry cutter or the coin was struck using molten shaped lettering.Only the words and number "8 DOUBLES 1864" are affected. Anyone offer a reason ?
Looks like a bunch of die chips around the letters. Perhaps there was a problem with the die steel or the die was not properly hardened.
So far every explanation offered has been the same. A worn out die, die deterioration, a series of die chips - those are all the same thing when you get right down to it.