First welcome to the neighborhood @Reelgoodwoman ! What you have is a very common error that results from the accumulation of grease and debris that fills the recesses of the letters on the die. In this case, it is the result of a partially grease-filled die. Chris
Thank you for your response! What about the size of the lettering in "STATES"? They are a lot thicker than in "UNITED" and "AMERICA". I have included a better photo.
I don't see any appreciable difference in the thickness of the letters. Keep in mind that the dies take quite a pounding in striking thousands upon thousands of coins. Chris
It is hard to tell in the photos but the letters are probably twice as thick. Very noticeable with the "A" and "E".
I have a 1988d with the S and E in states half gone and O in Of partially gone...States on mine definitely has wider lettering...easy to see comparing t's in State and United... This coin is in bad shape but I thought why not show it lol...The pic isn't very good either but best I can do right at this moment...