I'm looking at the M in DIME. Looks like a clash below and around the M. The left side of the M looks taller than the right side. Maybe just die damage? Maybe just damage to the coin itself? All opinions welcome.
The coin looks to me to be a bit distorted from distributed compression at the "A" in "HALF", the "IM" in "DIME" on the reverse and in a few places on the front, notably the URH corner of the shield, the RH knee area and the neck area. While I do see some clash marks, and like the very natural look of the coin, I don't believe it is undamaged.
I find clashing interesting, particularly if very obvious. Your clashing is there but nothing eye catching. And I believe yours has original surfaces.
Nice orginial coin with clashs....better date and mint mark. I normally look for,and buy when available at a reasonable price an 1840 /9 specimens. P or O mint marks. The 1840 's years offer quite a few varieties...sweet coin
Now I may be wrong but the reverse in that area looks like a grease strike.to my eye. Now the M looks like it has been clashed .or die damage as you said. But the nature of the effected area left lower side of the O. IM in dime and the lower right side of the A in half.. Yeah the more I look the more I see a strike thru grease or cloth... And of course it's colors from an old sulfer base coin board. I find so many that some have tried to dip the hell out of them to remove that dark toning. And I'll also add take in consideration of the strike on this specimen it pretty sweet for an O minted coin . I grade her vf