From the looks of it, your Indian Head cent is suffering from post-strike damage. Your Liberty Head nickel may have been struck through a detached lamination flake rather than having had the flake detach from its surface after the strike.
As you correctly observed, a blurred design will be visible after a thin lamination flake detaches from the surface of a struck coin. That's because the strike deforms the metal underneath the surface so that it conforms to the recesses of the die face. Flakes will typically separate along a plane of separation that follows that deformed hidden internal topography.
Another possibility for your buffalo nickel is that the recessed area was deeply etched by acid or some other corrosive material. This will also leave a raised, blurred design in the floor of the recess.
Mike Diamond is an error coin writer and researcher. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those held by any organization I am a member of.
I seem to be developing a collection of incomplete clip coins. I just picked this up yesterday - I think it is an excellent example of this type of error.
1. 1972 Cent - Double Clip and a beautiful incomplete clip!
2. 1965 Canadian Dollar - a more common year for this type of error but still neat and on a larger silver coin. The Incomplete Clip is especially noticeable on this example
I picked this coin up a few months ago but only recently had the chance to image it, it makes a nice companion to jcmu12's 1831 bust half. I asked a few forum experts when I found this coin (eBay BIN listing) and they felt it could be unique for the type.
1831 Bust Half Dime, choice AU, with an incomplete clip:
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
Does anyone know if that dime was slabbed by PCGS?
And if so, does PCGS actually note, on the slab insert, that type of error?
It's odd, but I somehow missed seeing that image at all, the first time through the thread!
(Getting old? Me? No way!) >>
The coin pictured above is still raw, just as I bought it nearly a decade ago.
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
The OP pattern seems to have unaffected rims, and the cut line doesn't seem to penetrate the raised areas of the design properly. Assuming the pressure from the planchet cutter was evenly dispersed, wouldn't the raised areas have deeper cuts than the lower fields? and why doesn't it extend through the rims?
I believe Broadstruck and Legend/TDN correctly identified the error, I just can't explain these details. Perhaps someone can shed light on the minting process to explain.
As I thought, it does not continue over the denticles and rim. Rather it seems to stop just shy of the denticles. I don't understand how that's possible. I would love an explanation by someone knowledgable about minting machinery/processes.
LochNess...the upsetting of the planchet rims and subsequent striking of the coin could obliterate the trenches left by the incomplete clip.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
<< <i>Fred, How rare is a Elliptical Clipped Morgan incased in the original GSA holder? >>
I saw one a few years ago, I want to say it was an 1883, which had been certified in the holder by NGC. As I recall it sold for about twice what a normal GSA for the date would have realized. I don't remember if I brought it up here, but I do remember being disappointed I didn't have the funds to bid on it. I cannot recall seeing another, maybe Fred can chime in as well with his experiences.
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
I've seen two slabbed Morgan dollars with alleged incomplete clips. Both were highly dubious examples as they appeared on only one face and the radius of curvature seemed too small.
Mike Diamond is an error coin writer and researcher. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those held by any organization I am a member of.
Here's another one I just got around to photographing, this is a 1964-D Jefferson nickel with a small rim clip plus two concentric incomplete clips. At first glance you may think the incomplete clips are damage because they are not equidistant from each other near the rims, but in hand you can see this is because the indentations are so deep that under striking pressure, there was metal flow back into the incomplete clips.
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
That is a wild one! Never seen a double incomplete clip.
I see no problem with the spacing of the incomplete clips. Lay two circles over each other, and at some point the curves intersect.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
Comments
As you correctly observed, a blurred design will be visible after a thin lamination flake detaches from the surface of a struck coin. That's because the strike deforms the metal underneath the surface so that it conforms to the recesses of the die face. Flakes will typically separate along a plane of separation that follows that deformed hidden internal topography.
Another possibility for your buffalo nickel is that the recessed area was deeply etched by acid or some other corrosive material. This will also leave a raised, blurred design in the floor of the recess.
1. 1972 Cent - Double Clip and a beautiful incomplete clip!
2. 1965 Canadian Dollar - a more common year for this type of error but still neat and on a larger silver coin. The Incomplete Clip is especially noticeable on this example
1831 Bust Half Dime, choice AU, with an incomplete clip:
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
<< <i>
Does anyone know if that dime was slabbed by PCGS?
And if so, does PCGS actually note, on the slab insert, that type of error?
It's odd, but I somehow missed seeing that image at all, the first time through the thread!
(Getting old? Me? No way!) >>
The coin pictured above is still raw, just as I bought it nearly a decade ago.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
I believe Broadstruck and Legend/TDN correctly identified the error, I just can't explain these details. Perhaps someone can shed light on the minting process to explain.
Amat Colligendo Focum
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Amat Colligendo Focum
Top 10 • FOR SALE
Rainbow Stars
<< <i>Fred, How rare is a Elliptical Clipped Morgan incased in the original GSA holder? >>
I saw one a few years ago, I want to say it was an 1883, which had been certified in the holder by NGC. As I recall it sold for about twice what a normal GSA for the date would have realized. I don't remember if I brought it up here, but I do remember being disappointed I didn't have the funds to bid on it. I cannot recall seeing another, maybe Fred can chime in as well with his experiences.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
I see no problem with the spacing of the incomplete clips. Lay two circles over each other, and at some point the curves intersect.