1854 Large One Cent - Die Cracks?...

Hi - here is my 1854 Large One Cent. You'll notice to the right of the neck on the obverse, there is what looks like a "W." At first, it looked like someone scratched in the letter "W." However, in real life, each part of the "W" looks like a raised ridge of metal, that has cracked along the top or side of each part of the "W" and has filled in with dirt.

Is this a die crack? If so does it add or subtract from the value? The 2026 Red Book doesn't mention anything about varieties for this coin.

Thanks!

 

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It does looked raised but are you sure is a W? If you turn the coin 180* it could be an M . lol. At any rate I would consider it damage.

 

Definitely not a die crack, Grafiti.

 

When a coin is scratched, metal is moved to one or both sides of the scratch. After a bit of wear you get what we are seeing on the coin.

 

post mint damage unfortunately

 

Sigma?

 

Thanks Larry.... I had been puzzling over this one myself.

 

@Collecting Nut @Pickin and Grinin @ldhair @jerryc39 @derkerlegand @Randy Abercrombie ...Hi, thank you for the quick and insightful responses. I didn't know exactly what to call it - "W", "M", Sigma etc. but I learned something. It just seemed too deliberate somehow, but I didn't know when a coin is scratched, metal moves to one or both sides. So, that absolutely makes sense. I seem to have more than my fair share of bent, corroded, scratched, etc. coins. Damaging coins seems to have been the fun thing to do 150+ years ago. Oh well.

 

Change the way you hunt for coins, If it is price point then sometimes buying a lesser condition coin that has acceptable problems is the way to go. I like to get a loupe on any and every coin I buy before I let go of my hard-earned cash. Maybe it is just the internet, and you need to spend more time in the Brick and Mortars.
Die cracks look like this.
The reverse of this 55s has multiple die cracks, right wheat stocks to rim, all radiate towards the rim.

The die stage before that one, I think had three Retained cuds.