There is a b, , that is impressed into the coin. I'm not sure if it is a dropped letter, or post strike damage. What do you guys think?
Post strike damage - no question. LIkely added by somebody with a metal punch. Perhaps even one of our own CT members - he likes to do stuff like that and then place the coin back in circulation
The reason I asked if it was a dropped letter, is because dropped letters are incluse, and not raised above the metal.
Yes of course, but if it was a dropped letter it would be the same size and font style of the letter B used on the coin. It is not.
I know this. I was simply confused, because someone said that it was post mint, simply because the letter was not raised. I think they may be confused about what a dropped letter is.
I can tell you it was post mint since the area around the b is raised. This is because the indentation caused by the B has to force the material to go somewhere. Since the rest of the die is not present the displaced material can and will act only on the metal next to the punched letter. If the B truely was a dropped letter the rest of the die would have forced the displaced material to spread out evenly across the surface and the result would be a indented letter which does not display ripple or ridge around the letter.
I see that Standing Liberty Quarters have an "M" incuse-struck to the right of the date, for Hermon A. MacNeil. Any chance that someone at the Mint decided to stamp this "B" for "Barber", and then the decision was reversed? The character style of the letters are similar.
