Two possibilities- Struck Through Grease or excessive die abrading. I am more inclined to think it was caused by a clogged die because the pony tail is typically affected by die polishing at the base of the bust but its details are fairly strong.
These are known and come in threads every couple years. The supply is low but no one seems to want them. Someone who found 10 of them over the course of years of searching hundreds of boxes of nickels tried their luck on ebay, but never got more than a dollar or two.
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