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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Leadfoot, post: 974796, member: 2972&quot;]It is also worth noting -- and this is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DO IN PHOTOS -- that there is a very subtle difference in planchet defects and contact marks on high grade coins that is visible to the eye and under magnification.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>What I mean is this:&nbsp; The&nbsp; planchet defects have a less &quot;fresh&quot; or less &quot;sharp&quot; appearance than contact marks.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ve always thought it was because of the slight stretching the surface that a planchet goes through during striking, even in an area that doesn&#039;t completely strike (i.e. the balloon effect).&nbsp; Perhaps it&#039;s because of the heating of the metal itself under such high pressures, but there&#039;s a very subtle difference between hits and planchet marks.</p><p><br /></p><p>Once the coin&#039;s been circulated, the appearance of these delicate features (essentially, the &quot;edge&quot; and/or &quot;freshness&quot; of the contact/planchet mark) quickly deteriorate.&nbsp; But on extremely high grade specimens -- like those that Lehigh pictured above -- you can begin to see what I&#039;m referring to.</p><p><br /></p><p>In hand, it&#039;s much more obvious, but still quite subtle.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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