What Is This?

Ok, a lot of interest here so far.
Mike is correct machine doubling/die chatter are the same. Vertical die movement I made up. Die variety might be partially correct but not the correct answer in this case. I don't know and something else have been choosen.

But one question hasn't appeared yet. One that should have been asked first. Let's see if anyone can think of it?

Is the area you are pointing to raised or incused?

The mark is incuse, but part of doubling. The question I was think was this: "What year is this coin?" That is one of the first questions that come to mind to me. Know ing what year will help me see what WAS going on that year.
IE: The devices on the obverse of the 2001-2003 are wider. So if someone show a coin with wide letters and it was one of those years, then I would understand what was going on with it.
IE: 1972 had a lot of master die doubling on them from all three mints. So know a coin was a 1972 I would remember this was a year that is known for master die doubling and go from there.

The coin in the image is a 1961-P. Check examples you have of this coin in your collection and let me know what you find. (I know homework. What am I, back in school? This is how you learn. Looking, examining closer and train your eye to see what is going on.)

Still waiting on a report of what you see on your 1961-P Cents. The answer might surprize you?

DING! DING! DING! We have the correct answer.
http://www.coppercoins.com/lincoln/...ie_state=mds
In the roll of cents I opened almost all were like this in caying degrees of die wear and from different dies. They make a large percentage of that years coinage and common. The image on coppercoins doesn't show the O, but it is most common to find that device affected. Not machine doubled, mater die doubled.

I do these from time to time when I find something interesting to share with others. Probably the only time I start a thread. So if you search for my threads you will find more of these.

I found a 1972 one with the E that has something similar I will upload tomorrow might be a 1972 DDO but not sure but I am going to find out anyways.