Interesting Defective or Split Planchet Error?

I posted this on the CU forum but haven't gotten many responses yet so I thought I'd post it here to. I recently bought this 1917-S Lincoln cent and sent in to PCGS to be graded. I liked it because it has some pretty iridescent toning and several bold reverse die breaks (which I really like), but then when I had Todd photograph it, he pointed out to me that it also had a defective or split planchet from 6:30 all the way around to 10:00. It also has what looks like a strike thru in the motto area where UNUM should be, and/or a weak strike in some of the letters in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, but I'm not sure they are strike thrus because the planchet is so messed up, that I thought it is possible be that the coin just didn't strike properly. Any thoughts?

 

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Hi, Charmy!

You posted this at NGC, didn't you?

First, the missing UNUM is probably from a grease-filled die. I mentioned in another thread that it is not unusual on Lincoln's because the incused lettering on the die is small and easy to fill with grease and debris. Also, note on the obverse between 3:30 and 4:30 which corresponds to that area along the rim appears to be messed up a little. This can be due to the fact that the extra metal which should have gone into the letters on the reverse had no where to go.

As for the reverse rim between 6 & 10 o'clock, this is just my opinion, but it looks more like a rim break on the die rather than a defective planchet.

Chris

 

Hi Chris, than you for your reply. Actually I did post it last night on the PCGS forum but didn't get many responses but Fred Weinberg just replied saying that it was a tapered end planchet and the coin should weigh less than usual.

 

Maybe I'm just dense, but that doesn't make sense to me. If it is a tapered planchet weighing less, I could understand the lack of metal being insufficient to form UNUM, but how does that account for the extra metal that is on the rim from 6-10 o'clock and 3:30-4:30?

Chris

 

That's not "extra metal" at 6:30-10:00 - the planchet is split or laminated (separated). And I see no "extra metal" from 3:30-4:30, just a flat area with no detail.

 

Great looking coin Charmy

 

Wow, all kinds of things going on here. I'm not sure I agree with a tapered planchet, but I wouldn't rule it out. I see alot of die deterioration doubling in USA. I'm not sure if it has a defective planchet or there was trouble with the collar die. Very interesting coin though...