In another thread folks were talking about marks that couldn't quite be identified but appeared on more than one example of a coin. Well, here's something interesting: See that white spot in the center? At first I thought it was a scratch on the slab. As I just happened to be one of the lucky few who got one of these for free, I wasn't upset about it. I had no intention of selling this, but I was curious about the value, so I checked eBay. Some of the coins shown there have this same mark! So -is it a design element, an automated handling mark, a die variety or what? Opinions sought! I hadn't thought to check pictures of these coins unslabbed or slabbed but not in this giveaway - I should do that..
I would guess that "mark" is from stacking friction between coin and holder in a banded heavy stack of flipped coins. Shipments of flipped coins travel thousands of miles before grading and, while the majority of those miles are in the air, perhaps as many as a couple hundred of those miles introduce the stack of coins to road vibration, which could flatten the frost on the coins. Best conjecture I can come up with . . .
The mark in the 2nd photo is a slightly different shape and in a different position. It's just a fluke. Chris
I'd agree that it is due to rub, and no two would ever be exactly the same even when they are in roughly the same spot.
I'd agree if I hadn't seen so many with similar marks. And rub on so many proofs? Seems odd, doesn't it?
Good point - though not all of the PCGS have them. I just bought a few high grade circs and proofs, both raw and slabbed, some exhibiting this and some not. I'm going to do some microscope work and see if I can figure anything out. It's just idle curiosity.
On the contrary, it is perfectly logical to me that the marks all be in the roughly the same place and rough shape. It's a high point on the coin, if there was rub, where else would you expect it to rub ? And it wouldn't take much at all to cause such a mark, just laying the coin down of a flat surface and then moving it when you tried to pick it up could do it. Of course it's also possible it is from nothing more than a wear mark in the die. But if that were the case the marks would be progressive, and very, very close to the same. But they are not, none of them are the same. Here's a link that will show you lots and lots of these coins - https://www.google.com/search?hl=en....0....0...1ac.1.44.img..26.12.709.tW72xLQA01A You'll see the marks on some and not on a whole lot more.
