I can't believe that I overlooked this damage!

I've had this 1981-S Washington Quarter for at least a year if not two. It was in a 1981 mint proof set and I had inspected this and the many other mint proof sets
many times. In order to give my cent, nickel, dime, quarter, Kennedy half dollar, and Ike dollar collections some completeness I took apart every mint proof set from
1968 to 1998. I used 2x2 Collins Mylar flips and filled them in the appropriate 3-ring binders. Well trying to make all the labels uniform in my Wash. Quarter binder I
started to try and grade the coins. That's when I spotted this damaged 1981-S and it looks like a PF65 to me and on top of it a Type 2 Clear one too.
It looks like someone wanted to make it into a brooch or amulet using a small drill. Dumb Jerk did a terrible job. Please express your opinions. THANKS zeke.

 

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Looks like a strike-through error to me. Increases value...

 

It looks like someone ruined a nice quarter to me.

 

Not necessarily. Errors usually command a premium because they are scarcer than their error free counterpart. However, in a particularly scarce or rare coin, there is usually more demand for the high grade problem free (including mint errors) coins and that demand drives the error free coin price above the scarcer error coin price.

It's similar to a generalization that patterns are more valuable than than business strikes. While this is typically true, check out the prices of high grade (MS and PF) 1859 cents. The market still determines price, not the coin.

 

I understand this, but this is mostly true of rarities, condition or otherwise...

But on a common-date proof coin?

 

Don't feel bad. I had a 1936 DDO Lincoln Cent sitting in a tube with other "better wheats" I've pulled from circulation...didn't notice that it was a DDO for at LEAST two years...must have been in a hurry...

And, this may just be me, but I don't think this is the Type 2 for this year.

 

Boy! I don't know now. I don't know very much at all with a coin like this. But I respect your knowledge and experience GDJMSP. You've given me some real hope.
But thinking back to when I was carefully opening the proof sets, sometimes they came apart like they had been opened then sealed
before I got them. I inspected the edges and there was some sort sealant added, but very, very little, and not evenly on maybe three or four sets. Again not knowing how the U. S. Mint seals these sets, I passed it off because I didn't see anything wrong with any of the coins. They're sonically sealed, or something, aren't they? As for TPG'ing it and other coins I have held onto, it'll be awhile before I can pay for that. I dearly would love to give it my best shot at PCGS.

 

The large "bump" is not raised, I can't tell about the others because I have difficulty telling truly there, what are artifacts of the image and what is from the holder.

 

Hang on, I have more pictures coming. Here is an analogy. From what I see this looks like a lacquered piece of metal took a scrape and the layer is peeling. Also from what the pics show is there isn't a hole. I see no depth to the scrape. Pardon my weak description but when I post the pics
you'll get to see. I had to place the quarter on edge and try tried to show this but it takes better equipment than what I have.

 

Unlike most posts here on this topic, it really looks like you might have hit the jackpot.

 

I had a ton of difficulty last night trying to post these pictures. Here is my second try.

 

Here are more pictures. They all look almost the same but I tried to get the best angles. The quarter is on edge almost vertical. My camera and macro lens aren't the greatest. I cannot get any closer. It'll take much better equipment to see this peeling really close and maintaining focus. In the last photo I thought it showed the edges
of the peeling and the little pile of the very left or end of this " scratch ".

 

Also doesn't look like a type 2.

 

Question: In picture 3 of the last batch the top of the letter ' Y ' looks like it is canted. To me it looks like the ' Y ' took a hit or near miss forcing our left top of the ' Y '
to to be a little below the rim and the right top to be above the rim. This cannot be normal can it? I did not look at any other quarters to judge this.

zeke

 

Has anyone's opinion changed since I posted the last nine pictures? If this is mint damage I am seriously interested what PCGS's results
would be. I'm also going to PM Mike Diamond about this coin.

 

I've decided it is a micrometer hit, or to send it into the grading company for an opinion

 

Great, thanks a lot.

zeke

 

Doesn't look like a strike-through or PMD.

It looks like a lamination that fell away. Basically, the planchet had a defect in the metal when it was struck, and at some point (likely at striking) it fell away.

At least that's what my eyes are telling me.

Neat coin.