Delaware 1999 Quarter found in change - odd font - E Pluribus Unum

Decided to start coin collecting again, and was going through 16-years of change I had thrown in a chest. I came across this 1999 P Delaware Quarter, and while looking for errors under the microscope I found that E Pluribus Unum appears to have been altered to change the font to appear more gothic. Looking at it more I realized what a feat it would be, given that you can't really even see it with the naked eye. Also the hole in the R is different and doesn't "appear" to be altered.
Is this some weird science experiment by a micro CNC machine, or is this some type of prototype?

 

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just a worn die....

 

First, welcome to the neighborhood @Scott P. !

Looking for errors under a microscope is meaningless. If you can't see an anomaly with a 5x or 10x loupe, it's not worth keeping.

Chris

 

Bifurcated lettering. It is a result of an incomplete strike. As the coin is struck the metal expands outward radially and it fills the outermost portions of the letters first and then works its way back toward the center of the coin. If the strike ends before the letter finishes filling you get those "dimples" on the vertical strokes of the letters where they are closest to the center of the coin.

65 posts to go

 

It looks strange enough, I would keep it. Not for any expected value, but simply for its strange and different look.
By both Ken and Condor's explanation, it is a mint error, but not of the type of mint error to carry any value or premium.
It does look a bit Gothic, doesn't it?
It's cool enough to keep and put it in your " Oddities " box and pull it out for your friends now and then, for Show and Tell!

Welcome to Coin Talk !!

 

I like it. But there has to be a logical explanation. If they used a different die that created this lettering, there would be 100,000 of these coins and this variety likely would have been discovered almost immediately.

 

It's normal. Struck by an overused worn out Die. Welcome to CT.

 

What kind of scope are you using? They sure do save the eyes over squinting through a loupe all night while hunting through change. Did you find any of the spitting horse error?