Thanks all in advance I just came across this war nickel just now showing my family, and realized that it has this strange, deep streak across the front. What exactly am I seeing? again thanks and sorry for any ignorance it just looks like a mint error and on a coin like this in its condition I want to make sure I’m not sleeping on this
I suspect it is a "lamination" error. The mint had a really tricky time getting the alloy of these war nickels correct, they have a lot of laminations.
Both Bob sap and Heavymetal have separate photos/items in the thread. The first nickel is a die crack. The large photo is a lamination. Please try to start a new thread when asking about new material to be addressed. tks
A die crack wouldn't be seen on the "D" in "GOD'. Also, die cracks take the path of least resistance, so to speak. If it is a die crack, I would expect it to go from the bottom corner of "D" to Jefferson's chin.
I’m still going lamination error @Bob sap Try a picture with the lighting the opposite way And a steady phone/camera support Edit: I see the other picture now. Lamination error
My comments here apply to the ORIGINAL poster with a nickel that has a die crack on the Obverse, not about the lamination nickel. Die cracks will normally start where the thinnest portion of the die makes a huge angle turn. It is the same with a coin die as it is with any other hard metal for whatever use, regardless the specific pressures exerted. On most coins, a die crack can normally form on the serifs of letters or digits and then travel to the nearest place that is feeling similar pressure from the design. In Jefferson's case it is the rapid change of direction to form the tip of the collar on his shirt. Just think about the thin segment of die recessed design that gets the full pressure that the press slams/presses onto the flat fields. I've had to chase dozens of cracks on ship's decks, bulkheads and hulls in shipyards with metal 8-10 times thicker than a planchet or die for 30 years.
It looks a die crack at first glance. But if you look closer it has all the earmarks of a lamination crack. The metal content of the Silver War Nickels created many with lamination errors. I believe yours is a lamination crack.
Definitely a Lamination Crack. It's a Planchet issue. Here is one I sent to NGC for attribution. The Lamination is on the reverse side..