Probably a chemistry experiment gone wrong! Doesn't look like pavement damage to me. Interesting PMD pattern!
there is a little brown tone along the damages edge so perhaps? There was an acid thinned barber in this lot so I assumed maybe the same school day
I actually thought it could be cool to polish this up with the baking soda / foil trick - I love the look of cratered things / damage but shiny.
Most likely acid. If it were fire it would have some kind of polished/discolored look. Or it could have black tar-looking splotches that I have seen on fire damaged coins.
This coin has a potentially interesting background and history. I'd say it is desirable to collectors of low ball coins in its current state of condition. Making it shiny will make it desirable to practically no one and its worth nothing more than bullion.
The shapes of the face* pitting suggests a cause other than acid imo, but it's not like this really matters. I also have to disagree that this is (generally speaking) in any way desirable to collectors, but the coin does have character as-is. Cleaning it simply isn't going to help it. *edited: "race" to "face".
I ALMOST photoshopped the 1 in there for that as a joke but didn’t want to lose my credibility before I even establish any. Hahaha
You are right. I was just thinking artistically it would be interesting but I’ll throw it in a 2X2 as is and sit on it. I’ll call it my “two face” merc.
There's nothing wrong with experimenting, but just use coins you've no interest in. In fact I would go as far as to say experimenting is actually a very good thing.
