Large Cent 1848 with clip and possibly deliberate gouge

I found this large cent in a coin dealer's junk box and bought it
because the date was 100 years before my birth year.



United States Large Cent 1848

I noticed the clipped edge when I found the coin.

I didn't notice until later that the "CENT" on the reverse had been gouged,
possibly to form a word.

Does this look accidental or deliberate?

 

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It's all damage. The are no errors there.

 

I never said that this was a mint error.

I just asked whether the damage might be accidental or deliberate.

The more I think about it, it has to be deliberate, which brings up all kinds of speculation.

Some soldier at Gettysburg waiting for the attack, not all thought only of "mother and home".

Some pioneer on a wagon train to California thinking of the first thing he will do when he gets there.

And so on.

 

I have several of these where the defacing is of much higher quality, but still vulger.

 

Very cool. I am sure there is a lot of history in these well worn large cents, and thinking about the time period of the piece and the historical context in which it was used is an extremely enjoyable aspect of the hobby.

As to dutchman's comment, the term 'clip' you used is a specific type of error coin, which your coin is not. In the more general sense your coin has a clip out of it, but it's not a clip.

 

I'm sorry. I didn't understand. The word "clip" to me is indicative of a mint error. The alteration of the letter is most definitely deliberate. We see these quite often.