A camera. For close ups like this (60x) I use my Digital Blue QX3+ mcroscope. Hooks into the PC USB port. Simple to use and pretty cheap too. (@ $50 off ebay if I remember right) But what do you think of the coin?
Looks like damage to me - question is what did it ? I suppose it's possible it is ejection damage but I think it more likely it was a counting or rolling machine.
I see these all the time ,, all years ,wheats memorials, I also find this effect around the rim and below or above the lettering , Planchet copper layer was ruptured, I havent figured out if it was too hot or too cool or if it was cooled too quickly but I think it is one of those senarios Rick
Funny ndgoflo,,, no I do not find Plated wheats but I do find ruptues such as seen here around some of the devices ,,of couse they do not look as dramatic since the core is not zinc, but they still have the ruptures. I put forth a little info about how common these are ,,and then answered your question concerning the cent you pictured. no where in my post did I say that I found plated wheats, Im not impressed by such misrepresentations of anothers words. I still think it has to do with the cooling or heating of the planchet.
Suffice it to say that I have seen thousands of coins with this ruptureing of the outer layer,, it is not a true lamination error,where a small piece of dirt or grease is sandwhiched in between causing the outer layer to peel away,, it is usually small and situated to the edge of one of the design devices, most of the time the mint mark, but I have seen them by the motto either above or below, under magnification it appears like a tear in the outer layer, I think it is caused by the planchet either being to hot when struck or to cool, or being cooled to rapidly after striking When the coin is struck the metal being forced into the die is stretched while the metal of the field is compacted, this creates a place where the two meet at the base of the design device which would be weakened this is where the question is ,are the ones that exhibit this tear to hot when struck which could create a thinner layer at the base of the design device or is it the cooling process which causes rapid contraction the cause? or is it a combination of both ?
