Is this what they call a die gouge?

Mementos

I just received my 2007 silver proof set and the Washington quarter has a gouge on the legend above the fish.

Is this considered an error? What is it?

ILikeMercs

from this very board, I learned a die gouge is raised.

Mementos

Oops..I meant to say field and not legend. It's been a long day.

coinman420

mint administered sneeze

jabba

Looks like we have a new Salmon Egg verity Its hard to tell with out a closer photo but it looks like it might be a die chip.

SUMORADA

If you remember the 2005 "Speared Bison" nickel that got all the hype and a lot of my $$$...........down the tubes.......... was nothing more then a common reverse die gouge, but because of where it was at......and the hype at the time.............it looked like a can't lose deal..............! You have come to the right place with your questions, these folks will teach and help you with there vast experience, they won't always sugar- coat it, but the education you will get from these folks IMO cannot be bought, for the most part you will find that what drives this board is a passion for the hobby...........and then there are some of us modern crap wannabe collectors of classics folks who do not have the knowledge and or the resources (yet) to do what these folks seem to do with ease, they got to this point with hard work,sacrafice and again there passion for coin collecting, these are the same folks that will welcome your questions and do there best to help you! ...........Well I'm glad i got that out.. (just in case i missed your first post)

AUandAG

Yes, it is certainly an error. It was not intended by the mint to be like that, for sure.
Now, have you hit the jackpot? I rather doubt it. Will it bring a premium? Well,,,,,,,
maybe and then again probably not much if any at all. Nice conversation piece!
I like the salmon egg theory!
bob

Mementos

Thanks for letting me know about the speared bison nickel being a die gouge. There are so many things that can go on with coins that it is hard to know and that is why I figured this board was the place to go to find out.

I like the salmon egg theory. You expect a nice smooth field and it looks like a chunk of it took a blast of some sort.

FredWeinberg

That "blob" could also be a
struck-in small piece of metal,
or some other material.

Did you find more than one of these
in your group of proof sets? If so,
then it was on the die, in all probability.

If there's just one, it's probably a small
embedded object.......

Mementos

It is only on the one Washington quarter and I only have one silver proof set.

I will try to get a better photo and post it.

Mementos

Here are the latest pics of the coin in question. I also got a shot of the entire coin.

Photo of Washington silver proof quarter