I hope I'm posting this link correctly. The coin looks like it's been applied to a cheese grater and I'm trying to understand how it's in an NCG MS62 holder. There's something odd about LIBERTAD as well, but obscured by the hash marks. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1869-ZS-YH-...0171102?pt=US_World_Coins&hash=item3f3318505e Looking a second time, the scratches look raised. But if they're die scratches, how are they on the devices but not the fields?
I am by far no expert but will take a guess. The "scratches" on the obverse may assayers marks. The reverse may be a weak strike with quite a bit of chatter. The fields actually look to maybe have quite a bit luster remaining. Having said all of this I remember a saying that I have heard: One mans AU is another's MS62. And of course it is possible that it details coins that the NGC let slide. Regardless, without better knowledge of the "type" it is not my type of coin. Too many issues! Buy the coin not the holder
The striations look like they are from the planchet. The striations are obliterated in the fields but appear only on the design areas which were the last areas to strike-up. It could have been a thin planchet or the press may have been improperly set-up.
It is not unusual for a coin with raised lines on the devices or in the fields to be given a pass by the TPGs and graded. The reasoning being that if the lines are raised then they must have been on the die because of the reverse effect of die/coin. However, what is "conveniently forgotten" is that any scratch that occurs on a coin not only produces an incuse line on the coin, it also produces a raised line (or even two of them, one on each side) right beside the raised line on the coin. Of course there also things like adjustment marks that can produce a similar look on coins. And adjustment marks sometimes occurred on planchets before they were struck, and on coins after they were struck. So that is another reason that coins be given a pass and graded. Telling the difference between these three things and correctly identifying the marks can be and often is extremely difficult. And it is not uncommon for one to be mistaken for the other. Once you understand all of that it suddenly becomes crystal clear that there are many coins graded and slabbed by the TPGs that do indeed have post mint damage.
