looks to be a struck thru with a dropped letter, opinions? took a few pics at low lite to try an show depth..
Looks to me like part of the word FIVE. The V and most of the E are there. I don't understand the dropped letters errors but this looks like it is from the word FIVE in FIVE CENTS. Incused ... Shouldn't this be raised if it were part of another die or reversed if incused?
A dropped element occurs when grease and debris builds up in an incuse portion of the die. It becomes compacted and extremely hard after continuous strikes. Eventually, it can fall out of the die, and if it lands somewhere on the planchet, will be stamped into the surface of the coin. If it remains in place, it is called a retained dropped element, but more often, it will fall away leaving an incuse outline of the debris. Chris
i guess that could be part of the V and a E,, dropped letters are formed when grease an debri an gunk fill a portion of the die design then harden and eventually fall out, this could have been a greased die on the word FIVE, then the hardened substance popped out and landed over the steps area of the anvil die and a planchet placed on top of it and punched...
That's what I was a bit confused about too. You shouldn't be able to see the steps underneath if it is a dropped letter, correct?
okay, had this coin checked out, it was struck through a previously struck thin metal fragment generating two incuse , normally oriented letters, the VE of FIVE.
