Just purchased this nickel today from the LCS because of what I noticed on the reverse near the steps. To me, it looks way to deep to be just a scratch or hit/nic from another coin or anything else. Also there is a similar depression at the second T of STATES that disturbs the field surrounding the T but doesn't affect the T itself nearly as much. Thoughts? I don't know what to make of it.
The mark on the steps has very sharp borders (strike thrus don't) so looks laminated. The mark through the "AT" is a struck thru.
I'm thinking that both are strike through , the one on the steps a nice hunk of medal and the one on the T like a shaving of medal. And the said about the T I say is proof that it's not pmd but a strike through at the mint. Nice find!
That's because it's more difficult to believe it's PMD than it is as-struck. My initial impression is of two different materials being involved here. On the steps, whatever got stuck there was of a hardness near that of, or exceeding, nickel - that's the only way sharp edges could appear. The nickel would "round" the edges of contact for anything softer than it. I contemplated the possibility of lamination rather than strikethrough, and decided not because of the sizable depth (another point in favor of something really hard) compared to the surface size - laminations are generally broader and thinner. The lower piece could have been wire, could have been string, could have been softer metal which the nickel kind of forced into shape during the strike. Keep in mind, steel has to be specially hardened to be harder than nickel at all - nickel is harder than soft steel. That's one reason why the Mint had such difficulty learning to strike nickel - their die steel was very little harder than the planchet at the time. The Bessemer Process (and therefore "modern" steel) was less than ten years old at the time the Mint started striking 3CN's.
Unfortunately SuperDave has me on "ignore" so this post will not be of any educational value to him. That's too bad. My reply: SD posted: "My initial impression is of two different materials being involved here. To which I agree. Two different causes also. On the steps, whatever got stuck there was of a hardness near that of, or exceeding, nickel Actually there is no way to tell this.- that's the only way sharp edges could appear. Sharp, split away edges DO NOT EVER appear on struck thru errors. That is because the object or substance is pushed DOWN into the surface of the planchet rounding the edges. The nickel would "round" the edges of contact for anything softer than it. I contemplated the possibility of lamination rather than strike through, and decided not because of the sizable depth This is not a factor. Although most laminations are shallow their depth depends on how deep the impurity was in the strip. (another point in favor of something really hard) compared to the surface size - laminations are generally broader and thinner.Actually, laminations come in all sizes and they are mostly small, strips of peeling metal still basically level with the surface. The lower piece could have been wire (This is EDIT , with his experience, he should know better than this),could have been string (This is also EDIT . Can you tell me why?), could have been softer metal which the nickel kind of forced into shape during the strike (could be). Keep in mind, steel has to be specially hardened to be harder than nickel at all - nickel is harder than soft steel. That's one reason why the Mint had such difficulty learning to strike nickel - their die steel was very little harder than the planchet at the time. The Bessemer Process (and therefore "modern" steel) was less than ten years old at the time the Mint started striking 3CN's.
Dave this is a war nickel not regular issue 56%copper,35%silver,9%manganese. A lot softer than 75%copper, 25% nickel mix.
This also could of been a platchet flaw ,however I don't think so.... with two areas on the coin effected I'm more on the foreign objects in the coining chamber as to the cause .
Good point. My point stands - when metals/materials of differing hardness come into contact, it's likely the harder of the two will "impose its' will" and force the other to conform to its' shape. The thing your point changes the most is, it broadens the list of things which are harder than the planchet and will therefore likely win the battle for shape conformity.
OK guys...color me STUPID. A closer look tells me these are BOTH laminations. There is a tear across the top of the "A" so it is not a struck thru as I posted! Shame on me as I should know better. Don't see the RPM.
@Paddy54 @Insider im not seeing the rpm from this image either. I'll have to post better close up pics of the MM and two spots when I get a chance.
