what is this called?

Thank you again sir. This has been very educational for me and apparently several others as well. Nobody else thought it was a strikethrough or a weak strike

While I was referring to the crazy terminus of the normal fields where the ring begins as a "crack" in the planchet itself because it bears resemblance to one, there is also a small raised line at the bottom of Kennedy's jaw line that looks like a minor die crack/gouge.

Thanks for the lesson. I truly appreciate your time, effort, and knowledge.

 

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How can one distinguish between weak strike or strike through on this coin? I ask because the ring is in fact nearly equal on both sides.

 

I don't have the software for an overlay to compare.

 

The subequal strength of the rings would remove that diagnostic from consideration. So in this case, you rely on two other diagnostics. One is the aforementioned sharp, slightly irregular internal margin. The second is the rough floor of the depression. If this was a weak strike, the floor of the ring would simply preserve the original surface texture of the planchet, which is relatively smooth, with perhaps a smattering of tumbling marks.

 

Would this coin be worth the effort for an "in hand" examination for an accurate definition of what is being seen?

It might be a good candidate for a Collectors Clearinghouse column as it appears, at first glance, to be PMD until one examines the details more closely.

 

If @mikediamond would care to see it in hand I'd gladly send it to him...

 

Could this be caused by rust and grease sticking to it around the outside of the die?
Larry Nienaber

 

Ring-shaped recesses located just inside the design rim and caused by compacted die fill ("grease") are fairly common in other denominations, like dimes. It's just that they're seldom so sharply demarcated and as roughly textured as this one. Maybe once I obtain a half dollar with a weakly-struck ring caused by a weak strike, an article comparing the two similar-looking phenomena may prove helpful to my readers. Until then, just hold onto it.

 

This was a pretty cool thread thanks for posting it.

 

Its called a half dollar