What are "die lines" on a coin and what causes them?

Longacre

I was looking at a quarter eagle and it had what was described as "die lines" near the edge on about a quarter of the surface of the coin. I don't have a picture right now, but I was wondering what die lines are, and what causes them? Does anyone have a picture? Does it detract from the value of the coin?

DickyBetz

Maybe they meant die polishing lines? Otherwise, I have no idea.

PerryHall

Maybe they mean die cracks or die erosion lines.

grip

What DickyBetz said.
Al

Nysoto

In the early US series a die line can be caused as the result of the engravers tool, the graver, slipping out of place, resulting in a stray line on the working die. This happened frequently at the corners of the shield on bust halves. The best example I am aware of is 1807 O.107 "long stem" where the graver slipped out of place while engraving the stem through claw, resulting in a prominent line extending to the rim. Some die lines and die defects cannot be explained.

OKbustchaser

Another well-known example of a die cutter's slip of the tool is the 1814 O-103 reverse. (Although I have no idea what he was doing at the time.)



Jim

PerryHall

He could also be refering to planchet adjustment marks.

Elcontador

Robert, I have a high end type Liberty Nickel with die striation lines. They llook like hairlines, except they radiate out from the coin's edge and are parallel to one another. They don't seem to affect a coin's grade.

Die polishing marks are a different animal. They look like very fine hairlines, and are close to one another. They sit on the coin's surface, and also don't seem to affect a coin's grade.

mozin

Here is what die polish lines look like on a "prooflike" MS gold piece.