Poor Gobrecht Dollar. Still Cool!

Never was crazy about holes either, and prefer my old coins in XF or thereabouts, but for something like a Gobrecht, especially a nice example like this, I would gladly accept it.
I did notice the scratches on it. It got me to thinking, it seems a lot of older type coins show deliberate scratching, usually of the face of Miss Liberty. Did guys sit in taverns back then, drowning their sorrows and symbolically avenging themselves on their missus via Miss Liberty?

 

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No, but Southerners during the Civil War might have defaced US currency and coinage as support for secession in the same way that the Ancient Romans defaced the coinage of unpopular emperors. Defacing money is a way of making statement.

 

Can someone explain to me what the "flashing" on the obverse at 12 o'clock to about 2 o'oclock is caused by? To me, that would be a sign of a bad copy, but I know since a lot of experts here have looked at it, I must be wrong. Not sure if "flash" is the wrong term - I know with some metal products in the industry I work in, extra material from dies is usually flashing, and they have to remove it.

 

I am pretty sure that is nothing more than post mint damage.