Here is a Benjamin Franklin 90% silver half dollar struck with a slag inclusion on the "B" of LIBERTY on the obverse. (It also retained unlike most other examples of slag that leads to improper bonding and laminations.) What makes it especially neat is that not only is it retained, but it is now part of the lettering and on the obverse of the coin which is more desirable. (It was a gift for photographing a friend's collection.) What is "slag?" Slag refers to leftover impurities that were not removed from a metallic mixture during the smelting process; it is usually black or dark brown. Sometimes slag remains included in planchet metal and can wind up being struck by the dies. Notice on the reverse on the bottom between the letters "L" and "F" in the word HALF there appears to be damage in the form of a bump; it's actually the opposite side of the slag inclusion. Also below is a 1945-P war nickel with a slag inclusion that caused a lamination error (in case you missed my stand-alone post on it a few days ago). Enjoy! ~Joe Cronin
Interesting. If it was slag, would that mean it was on the planchet before being struck, as there wouldn't be "slag" in the minting facility?
Thanks. Yeah, that's about all I could figure would happen in the process. In 1963, was the mint buying or making their own planchets? I could see slag being on a sheet prior to being punched into planchets.
Actually, Mike Diamond just told me it is more likely a struck-in and retained metallic fragment/debris. He states slag is too hard and brittle to take the form from die markings and that slag would be flush with the planchet. Thanks, Mike!
It looks like the reeded rim of the coin has a tiny swelled out place in this area and if it is I would venture to say that this may have got done outside of the mint.
After going back for a closer look it looks like it may be a tiny glob of something sticking on the coins surface .
