There is no displaced metal along the edge of this gouge. In the gouge it’s like a wavy flow of metal and no sharp pieces within. I’m probably beating a dead horse with this post lol. My best bet is to find a local coin collector to look at it. I understand pictures aren’t the best but I figured I’d find someone that’s seen this before.
I only have my cell phone and it’s difficult for me to do but the gray and blue arrows indicate raised metal. It’s been pushed off to the right side of the cut, gouge, groove or whatever you want to call it. This is classic damage.
Like I said the pictures aren’t the best. That’s not pushed up metal. The glare from the lighting and shadowing I’m sure is making things appear that way. I’ll enclose more pics for you and hopefully that will be apparent. I’ve put this under a scope and I’m 100% there’s no sharp or displacement of metal outside the crevice.
Here’s one under my digital scope but the quality is even worse then my camera phone. The reflection is just to much to discern what’s raised metal and what isn’t.
It may be the lighting and/or your photos but a few of those pictures look like it’s damaged and a few look like a struck through. You really need to get this to a coin dealer to look at in hand. Just put it in a pvc free flip to protect it until such time as you can get it to an LCS.
My bad I claimed it to be a state quarter but it’s a America the beautiful 2015 British surrender 1777 Saratoga quarter.
If there is no raised metal on the edges of the anomaly. Then I would call it a strike thru. Your second set of photos look better than the first.
I hate to buck the tide, but based on the last batch of pictures I vote struck through. Lighting can play tricks though, so I am not betting my bippy.
As I said late last night, some photos make it look like damage and other photos make it look like a strike through. You’ll best will be needed to protect the coin until you can get to a LCS. This needs to be evaluated in hand.
At first, I thought strike thru but, then post mint damage. As the mark gets narrower near the hair it looks like some of the metal is pushed up and over on the neck of Washington. If that's not the case, then I will go with my original thought of a type of strike thru.
I don't think it is PMD, The OP has reiterated with at least a minute amount of evidence that says it is a struck thru. I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt on this one, It is just as much interesting as the Barber dime with the fissure, Every one is clamoring over that one and it looks to have some tool marks, at least shapes...
@Pickin and Grinin, my apology. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If it is appealing to you that is all that matters, right!
Another thread that I read yesterday has some pictures of coins with rim burrs. The planchet itself might have a rough edge from being punched out of the original sheet of metal. When it runs through the upsetting mill and gets its edge, that excess metal burr is nearly sheared off, but not fully detached. Edit: That loose burr can pick up the shape of the reeding if it is in the right position in the die collar during striking. This looks a bit like that shape, but of course it is not at the edge of the coin. But if the prior coin had excess metal at the edge that became detached during final stamping and fell into the die, then it could have been stamped into this coin and leave a depression. An interesting feature of the example in the other thread was that the rim burr had a corrugated shape because it had the shape of the reeded edge. If a rim burr had that shape, then was twisted, you could get a spiral shape to the strike-through. (Does the spacing of the ridges inside this depression match the spacing on the reeding?) While I favor the explanation above, there are actually three good candidates for the cause. 1. A planchet flaw. This would be a crack or fissure from rolling out the metal, or even a dent from another planchet when the coins are washed and dried in a drum-like piece of equipment. During striking, the metal will try to fill up this dent by forcing up from below and from the sides. Because the metal flow is constrained by being in the die, it won’t come above the surface of the coin. You can usually find examples of this all over coins under magnification. Almost all Jefferson nickels show this effect on his shoulder and cheek. Here’s a cent planchet to show that this roughness is quite pronounced. 2. A gouge. Since this happens after the coin is out of the die, the displaced metal will have to go somewhere. It will cause a lump that protrudes above the surface of the coin, which is a good indication it could not have happened inside the die. 3. A strikethrough. Again, being inside the die, the metal cannot have a ridge that rises above the surface. If you see any metal that is displaced above the surface of the coin, it has to be PMD. That just can’t happen with the die pressing down on it.
