2003d Streaks/Trails..?

[Guest]

Good evening, All.

Found something interesting. (I think, anyway.) A 2003d with "streaks" (for lack of something else to call them) through AMER and above the O in ONE continuing through the lower left corner of the monument... but neither the monument or AMER were affected by these "streaks".

Take a look and provide some idea, please.

Thanks and "happy hunting", as always.

-Geo

[Roller]

I posted ones like this some time past. Ejection arm marks.

[DoubleYou]

They're NOT trails. These are relatively common, although they normally tend to occur in the 90s. I can't quite recall the explanation for them. They're a form of die damage, whatever they were called.

[DoubleYou]

Thanks Roller! I done forgot what caused them.

[jcuve]

Yep, feeder finger/ejection arm marks...

[georoxx]

Interesting. So I'm guessing that these marks were made on the planchet prior to being stamped? If they were made on the die, AMER and the monument would show some signs of the marks as well, right?

Another question... If they were made on the planched pre-mint, why are they raised elements on the finished coin?

Thanks for the (yet another) lesson, guys.

-Geo

[trails]

These marks are on the die and are made by a mistiming of the feed / ejection arm scraping across the die face. You will see this mostly on the reverse die (anvil always) unless the obverse die is the anvil die. The direction is consistently from the northwest to the southeast on the Lincoln cent; other denominations will have a different direction.

Since die scrapes are a shallow marring of the die, they tend to fade over time or at times are polished off the die face.

BJ Neff

[georoxx]

Thank you for that, BJ. I think I understand now.

Those scrapes are actually made on the highest point of the die (which would be the field... since it is the "lowest" part of the finished coin). Since they are relatively "shallow" marks, neither the AMER nor the monument would be affected. If they were deeper gouges, perhaps those elements might exhibit some signs of these ejection arm marks as well. (???)

Knowledge is good.

Regards,

-Geo

[trails]

George - you got it.

BJ

[jfines69]

Thank You BJ... That was an excellent explanation!!!