Can someone help me figure out what I'm looking at, I thought It may have been a scratch or someone took a blade and dragged it across the obverse but I dont think that's the case. The line is raised, Theres impressions of maybe a staple and I'm not sure if the surface is scratched theres many indents and the surface appears rough. On the reverse there is a die crack at the bottom right of the wheat leaf that looks like it may be a stage of DDO- 003. The crack travels all the way to the right side of the T in STATES
Your pics aren't of the highest of quality but I see a plating issue as well . I can see the Zinc coming through . Can you provide better Pics ? Die cracks just don't act like that. I don't believe anyways .
How many responses are you waiting for before you answer my question? I see you are monitoring the thread. Not a good way to begin your CT experience.
Looks like the coin has been scratched and then replated with copper. There is displaced metal along the groove.
The obverse mark is a scratch, die cracks do not travel onto the edge as the die does not strike there. The line on the reverse may be a die crack. It ends at the edge on the coins field. I looked real close but did not see any Zinc on this 1940 LWC. No DDO-003 die stage, DDO stands for Doubled Die Obverse.
Issue with the re-plating process, a hair or a bit of thin wire got stuck under the plating (In my opinion) and it's immortalized now...
Agree with it being a scratch. It appears that there's displaced metal along the edges of the scratch. A strike through would have a flat field leading up the recessed area while a die crack wouldn't be recessed. Displaced metal is an easy way distinguish strike throughs from damage. @SensibleSal66 FYI, This is a 1940 cent with a copper planchet, not copper plated zinc.
Sorry for the lag... the coin looks yellowish it weighs 2.98 grams, I'll take closer pics, but I cant guarantee quality the mark that runs from the U to lincolns head is slightly recessed, but the line that runs from the S to the rim above 1940 is raised, bit the metal doesnt look split. I mean it does look split from far but magnified it doesnt. My microscope sucks, it doesnt pick up all the details clearly. I'll upload more magnified pics as soon as I can