Here's the coin - pay particular attention to the remaining metal around the tops and serifs of the letters. The obvious conclusion is post-mint, but I'm having a hard time visualizing what would remove so much material while leaving what it did, where it did. Note that the lighting tends to exaggerate the scratch lines - in-hand, they resemble cleaning marks rather than something having enough force to remove letters. Also note that there's nothing happening in the fields around the missing letters - I'd expect there to be something if the coin was hit with that much force.
I think it's from a grease-filled die. Grease in the devices cause the shallow letters. Some silver flows around the grease and leaves the raised areas. Just a guess.
Like this, you mean? I'm really scratching my head over this one. I don't know if grease in the die would allow the edges of the letters to flow over like they did; being a liquid, it should have expanded to an even level throughout the letter. I've superimposed "good" letters over these in Photoshop, and the raised metal is where it should be in the letter - it's not displaced. The only explanation that seems to fit the evidence so far is a defective planchet on the previous coin, where those two letters broke off and filled the die for the next strike(s).
Hi, My thought is post mint damage. Possibly a dremel tool with a wire wheel. There are some reasons for the thought. First and foremost are the swirl marks also, metal on the letters in question have been moved and some actually removed the metal(could just be the lighting) looks to be brighter in the effected area indicating that the toning was disrupted by abrasion The pressure of the wire wheel or something of that sort , if heavier at the center of the tool would account for the two letters being more abraded than some of the others. lastly, the part of the coin opposite the "in question" area has damage while the lettering on the rest of the coin is in really nice shape. My thought is that the damage to the rim under the O of Dollar, and the damage to the E of ONE might indicate that the coin was held by something, a plier or a light grip of another tool at a logical place to then hit the questioned area with a small wire wheel or some other abrasive material. Just a guess, but plausible. Bill
