I pulled this 1990D half out of a roll yesterday and it has what loks like "train track" marks along it. I spent an hour last night trying to figure out if it was damage or a minting error. It appears that the ruts run under the 9 and 0 but both numbers are disfigured some and I can't tell for certain if the disfigurement came from a damaged planchet being struck or if the damage occurred after the coin left the mint. When I first looked at it my thought was that it was damage from a neddle-nosed pliers type of tool, but there is no damage on the reverse of the coin, so if it is just post-mint damage, then how did it get on the front only? Anybody have any ideas what could have caused this? thanks, CJD
neat....it does look like pliers but as you said...no sign of that on the back...also I don't see much of that on the rim...only on the date. I don't think it happened at the mint...at least I've never seen a error like that. You might want to ask Mike to take a look at it...most of the time he is on he is in the error forum. Speedy
It could still of been done with pliers, If the other side was cushiond with some thing soft, like a piece of rubber or cloth, or if the other half of the pliers was wrapped in electrical tape that could prevent marks on the opposite side of the coin.
I would assume it is a mark from the reeded edge of another half!?!?! But how could one half put that much pressure on the half in question? Got me!
That was my EXACT thought process! The size looks like the edge of another half, but I couldn't figure out how that much pressure could be applied that way. Also, look at the divot closest to the 9. It is pretty deep, but right next to it is the 9 and on the digit itself the damage is pretty light. It strikes me as odd that some of the deeper damage is right next to some of the lighter damage, so close like that. Also, wouldn't the raised numbers be MORE likely to be damaged than the field? Hmmm, I figure it is post-mint damage, but I still haven't heard a convincing argument for what exactly could have caused it. Oh well, I think I will keep it as it is one on the more interesting coins I've found as of late, even if it is just a damage clad half. Thanks all for your thoughts.
I imagine a scenario where this coin was going through a machine, such as a slot machine or counting machine. It got jammed with another coin lodged perpendicular to it. Either the machinery forced it through, or a machine operator/repairman forced it through, causing the reeded edge of the perpendicular coin to roll its impression onto this half's face. I guess there's a jillion ways it could happen.
I have found clad coins to be amazingly "soft". I once was desperate for a wide slotted screwdriver and ended up using a quarter and a pair of channel locks. Needless to say, I nearly corkscrewed the quarter. The bolt never budged
This is not the first time I have seen a coin with this type of mark, but I cannot say with certainty what causes it. If I had to guess, as has been proposed, I would say that the coin got stuck in a machine of some kind - be it a vending machine, counting machine (which seems unlikely as they usually use rubber rollers and will leave a different type of mark), or some other type.
