I agree with the consensus that the crack was man made after the coin left the mint. If the die cracked there would be a raised line rather than a knife like cut...
if the coin was scratched post-mint, the edges of the scratch should be raised up, ie. the scratch displaces the metal, it has to go somewhere, & where it goes is above the surface of the coin.
if the planchet was scratched pre-mint (which is what you want), then the edges of teh scratch will be perfectly flush w/ the surface. this could be worth a nice little premium.
you need excellent magnification to see. find a dealer w/ a good binocular scope to look at it for you.
Post mint damage. If that scratch occurred prior to striking, the 60 tons of pressure during striking would have closed the scratch almost completely. Also, that coin is well worn. If the scratch occurred early in the life of that coin, the displaced metal would have mostly worn away during that coin's many years of circulation.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
Comments
-Daniel
-Aristotle
Dum loquimur fugerit invida aetas. Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.
-Horace
Attributer/Photographer
coppercoins.com
San Diego, CA
Thanks for all the replies!!
(even though it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear)
I have a few more I'll try to post (for your opinions)
K S
how do I find out?
should I bring it to a dealer?
if the planchet was scratched pre-mint (which is what you want), then the edges of teh scratch will be perfectly flush w/ the surface. this could be worth a nice little premium.
you need excellent magnification to see. find a dealer w/ a good binocular scope to look at it for you.
GOOD LUCK!!!
K S
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.