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Message:: [QUOTE="ToughCOINS, post: 1852973, member: 20480"]Sorry Doug, but I differ on the subject of polishing lines in recessed portions of a die. Polishing a die requires considerable elbow grease, and that means downward pressure to be effective.  Thus, dependent upon the width of the "valley" for lack of a better description, the abrasive can indeed scratch the details in the recesses of the die. If the valley is very deep and narrow, this is improbable, but if wide and / or shallow, it is quite possible, and does occasionally happen.  This is obviously more prevalent on some designs than others. This can be confirmed by examining such a coin with intense magnification to confirm that those lines are, in fact, raised up off of the surface. One other thing to note is that the tools used to clean / polish the die have a great deal to do with the end result.  For instance, if a metal file, grinding wheel, emery board or sanding block is used, it likely traverses only the flat fields of the die, and does not reach into the recesses.  Conversely, using a rag or brush permits entry into the recesses, and may produce a very different result. Back to the OP's coin . . . My eyes and past experience tell me the lines we see in the photos are related only to toning, and are neither raised above, nor scratched into the surface of the coin, as designed. I'd enjoy hearing back from the OP on exactly what he sees under magnification. - Mike[/QUOTE]