I found this 1956 D wheat back penny the reverse side left stock seems to be quite different. Can't find one on the internet really need some help on this one thanks in advance
Broken Die. The die at the tip of the wheat stalk broke away - leaving a void (hole) in the die that metal from the planchet flows into during the striking of the coin. The same circumstance you see with BIE errors.
Since the wheat is raised on the coin, it would be recessed on the die. How could something that isn't there "break away"? To me, it looks like the coin took a hit. It's pretty easy to move copper around........PMD. Chris
I could be wrong but enlarging the last photo, I see some damage at the edge of this anomaly so Chris could very well be correct. That, and there is dirt or other debris on the other side that may be hiding more damage.
The design elements of a coin exists as a void (hole so to speak) on a die. A piece of a die breaks away it creates more void (hole) in a die. But on further inspection of the images it very well could be shearing of the head of the wheat - PMD.
Interesting coin. I agree with the die break. Keep an eye open for others as all the coins from that die after the break will exhibit this. You might even find the earlier die state with just a crack.
If it was a die break it would be raised above the level of the remaining wheat stalk on the coin. Chris
The field is always the highest point on the surface of the die, and the field completely surrounds the wheat stalk. How can a break on the face of a die fill in a space that isn't there? Think about it! Chris
It would be nice to have two clean images Obverse and Reverse. The stalk tips appear to be at the same height. Leads me to believe the extension tip on the left stalk was caused by a Die break. Regardless I feel @justafarmer nailed it out of the shoot.
The way I am thinking about it is a piece of the face of the die surrounding the wheat stalk chips/breaks off creating more voided space in the die for the planchet metal to flow into when a coin is struck.
If chips break off the face of the die, coin metal flows into that void causing it to be higher than the field (face). Chris
@justafarmer I think you and I spotted the “tell” on this coin right away. The two wheat stalk tips are actually even as designed. They look like the left side is missing a chunk buts is not. The tip is just an extension. At least that what I see.
Coin metal flows into the void in the die creating a feature that is higher than the field on a struck coin.
Exactly! That means that the anomaly could not have been produced by a die break. It means that coin metal that formed the wheat stalk had to be scraped or cut away from the coin. Chris
A chip on the die does not create a space on the coin. It creates a raised area above the field of the coin. Chris
@cpm9ball Chris look closely at the full image and eye ball the tips. What do You see. Look at the relative heights of the features in relation to the matrix of the design.