What would cause incuse lines such as these on a Buffalo Nickel?

savoyspecial · July 19, 2014 8:09AM

magikbilly · July 19, 2014 8:13AM

PMD or some sort of planchet weakness or craziness?

Eric

AUandAG · July 19, 2014 9:07AM

bored kid in English class with a pocket knife.

bob

In fact, it could have been me back in '63

howards · July 19, 2014 9:30AM

Wolverine attack.

It's PMD, so it doesn't much matter how it got there.

Shamika · July 19, 2014 12:11PM

I've never seen a Buffalo nickel with such marks. It must be post mint damage.

crazyhounddog · July 19, 2014 12:16PM

<< <i>I've never seen a Buffalo nickel with such marks. It must be post mint damage. >>

TwoSides2aCoin · July 19, 2014 12:17PM

struck through cat"s paw ^_^

LanceNewmanOCC · July 19, 2014 2:30PM

.
it is possible to get clear large images of a couple of the areas?

the edges are quite beveled and smooth, at least from the images.

the bottom most one appears to go on and off bisecting the coin which makes me think planchet defect.

since the coin looks like high au or probably unc, it should be pretty easy to diagnose.
.

ricko · July 20, 2014 2:58AM

Although at first glance I thought PMD, a closer examination has me leaning toward planchet damage... interesting marks... Cheers, RickO

Type2 · July 20, 2014 4:23AM

<< <i>Although at first glance I thought PMD, a closer examination has me leaning toward planchet damage... interesting marks... Cheers, RickO >>

I'm with Ricko on this one.

darktone · July 20, 2014 4:38AM

Looks like it could be a counterefiet and the bubbles and lines could be from the countrrfiet die making.

darktone · July 20, 2014 4:38AM

Lets see the reverse.

WoodenJefferson · July 20, 2014 9:50AM

Cast marks.

roadrunner · July 20, 2014 10:36AM

Damage probably occurred during the "minting" process. Whether it's real or not a closer examination would be needed.

lostincoins · July 20, 2014 10:51AM

I was going to say casting marks myself. If you look at the T the line goes under the right arm of the T so could very much be a damaged planchet if it does turn out to be real. If real makes for a cool error that I have yet to see on a Buffalo.....

lordmarcovan · July 20, 2014 11:51AM

Looks like planchet flaws to me. If it were PMD, I'd expect to see corresponding damage to the E and T in LIBERTY, and I don't. Those letters appear to be hovering above the grooves, indicating to me that they were struck over them.

Also, the Indian's chin doesn't appear to be nicked from that groove there. It just runs up to his chin and stops, like it went under the portrait.

Which would be the case with a pre-strike planchet flaw, which I believe it to be. It may have been a pretty big lamination on the planchet.

No way this is PMD, I say.

On second look, wondering about the suggestions of casting: I wouldn't have thought that, but then again LIBERTY does look pretty soft, and I wonder about that "acne" on the Indian's cheek, near his nose.

I still suspect a laminated or otherwise compromised planchet, but don't know for sure.

I remain pretty firm in my conviction that it is not PMD, though.

CaptHenway · July 20, 2014 11:49PM

An idle theory....the coin appears to be oxidized from being in the ground for a long time. Perhaps it was encased in mud that dried and encased the coin, with the encasement eventually cracking in places. Chemicals in the soil/water/whatever penetrated the cracks and attacked the surface of the coin under the cracks.

I have seen other coins with selective corrosion that would fit this theory. Cannot prove it, of course.

TD

FredWeinberg · July 21, 2014 2:43AM

Based on what I see in the one
photo/scan, which is a bit dark,
I'd say it's PMD, and not a lamination
or other type of planchet defect.

Hard to know for sure without
someone examining it in-hand.

What would cause incuse lines such as these on a Buffalo Nickel?

Comments

Leave a Comment