Lessons in problem coins: Whizzed.

It is the patch to the south of the U that got my attention - like thatch work scratching.

 

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It was Brawny and was from the middle of a Pick-a-Size roll she had on a standing kitchen paper towel holder (brushed nickel finish). Details are important, because middle of the roll paper towels aren't necessarily softer but they have been protected and are still not wound tightly around the core. Sparkle is just a cheap knock-off brand and would impart minute flaws you could see with a 20X hastings triplet.

 

I just assumed your avatar got its little claws in there. Light saber marks are more distinct.

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaa-men! Then throw a little AT on top to disguise the evidence.

 

As it turns out, neither of these impact the technical grade:

 

Oh, on this does "FB" stand for "fur-bearing"? That's some stout editing work there, fella!

 

Anyway, back on topic. (for me, at least.)

North of EPU looks like circulation dings to me.

Those lines on the rest of the coin appear to be metal flow lines.

 

Trying to remember without one nearby: Is that area near EPU a slightly raised plateau of field?

 

So consider me one of many inexperienced, confused coin collectors. Would there by chance a book with illustrations specifically addressing the topic? I think it would be beneficial. And if there isn't, then I nominate you to write one!

 

The overall look of the coin (eye appeal) is in-natural which is enough to pass on the coin. Thanks for posting this. A very good educational post!

 

Correct, the area north of EPU is slightly raised.

 

Thanks, for those that don’t know (new folks to the hobby) that means that area is less “protected” by nearby legends and devices and will show evidence of contact before other parts of the fields. It also CAN create anomalous flow line directions.

 

Thanks for the discussion on the Mercury - I almost didn't post it but I'm glad I did. I guess I just don't look at coins under magnification on a regular basis so the flow lines looked odd - artificial- to me. I picked up some good pointers on observation and also sought out and found this old gem of a thread discussing flow lines and luster:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/luster-a-guide-for-beginners.58435/

As far as "protected" areas of the field - I don't think it matters as far as rodent damage is concerned. Those suckers get into the most protected areas one can imagine and still wreak havoc.

 

Here’s a good example of whizzing on a half cent that I got a while bank. I bought it as a whizzed coin because I liked it and it was cheap enough, but when I received it, I really didn’t see what NGC was seeing. The color was clearly wrong, but I couldn’t understand why NGC called it the way they did. It wasn’t until I posted a thread here on CT that someone spotted the reason for the bag. If you look at the fields at about 4:00, you can see where someone tried to cover a bag mark.

 

The crazy thing to me is that the half cent came from Eric Newman’s collection and was cataloged as Unc red as you can see on his old paper flip. Was Eric the culprit here? I’ve never heard any stories suggesting that he was trying to deceive anyone, but this doesn’t seem right.

 

He wasn't the only owner of the coin...

 

This is an example of what drives some of us crazy about Doug. There's SOME point in history, I don't know precisely when, but @baseball21 at least thinks he does, that Doug would prefer that all terms became etched in brass for all time. I do appreciate that desire; I feel the same way about certain non-numismatic terms that society has changed. But the world simply isn't going to work like that - not anymore. The definition of EVERYTHING morphs, and we need to find ways to deal with that OTHER THAN griping about it or ignoring it.

Now I realize the retort to that might be "if things don't mean one thing, they might end up meaning nothing". I sympathize.

 

Clearly, but it just seems strange that the same guy who put together the finest collection of half cents ever assembled would have listed this one as he did. I’m not trying to accuse him of any sort of deception, I have no evidence of that, but it’s still curious. This coin is an EAC XF at best, so to call it red unc just doesn’t make much sense. The flip is of his hand and came with the coin as part of the auction.