@Hoky77 I summons you as I trust your eye on any IHC out there. My question is on the 08 S .... as I have heard that this variety has been questioned by some ?
I believe this is a Snow-7 as I can just make out the diagnostic die line peeking through the verdigris in the upper loop of the mint mark. The obv. should have a die line in the ear but pic isn't clear enough to say definitively. I can understand a variety being questioned when it is only based on die lines. I wonder if this wasn't first attributed as as a RPM and then corrected as a die line in the mint mark?
Is there a possibility the mm is added ? It doesn't look like this photo from PCGS as to the locations of the serif from the body of the mm. https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1908-s-1c-rpm-fs-501-1-bn/412809/63 use the cursor to magnify it. Jim
I don't think Paddy's 1908-s had the mint mark added as the die line in the upper loop would be near impossible to to replicate (IMHO) and the location is consistent with the picture in Rick's Attribution Guide. The Snow-1 in the coinfacts repunching is to the south of the upper S loop and that narrows the gap between the serif and the body where this coin was single stamped with the die line creating the illusion of a RPM.
With coin in hand and knowing what doctored mm looks like around the area no this mm has not been altered. Here's a test I do when in doupt of a mm placement or the look and color. To be honest....I am clueless as to those black crystal items that always seem to attach to a device on a coin. I nick named them coin buggers! When you move or place a mm as some have been done on better dates/key coins. I first look at the entire coin ,I look for wear, cracks, and of course the devices. If coin buggers are on the devices in what amounts....do if these little black dirt crystals are not on the mm but are seen on other devices bingo something fishy. I look for coloration on the surfaces....and flow of soder in or on the surface die lines. Plus this was attributed to be genuine at one time before?
