T-Bop's 3,000 Post Contest !

I know this is a bit of a late bump on this thread, but I think appropriate.

I decided to send the prize coin off to PCGS and have it graded and photographed. The coin came back AU58. It is a pretty interesting coin. Here is the full photo.




In general the coin looks really beat-up, and the reverse looks worn, but all the mint luster is present. However, on close inspection, it seems like all the nicks and dings were probably in the planchet. The nicks do not have raised edges, but rather seem to be 'flattened' due to the minting process, though not removed. It seems that the improper annealing may have left the planchet extra hard so that the reverse design is very weak and planchet flaws were not removed.



On the Obverse, Jefferson himself is a little different. He has a beard under his chin. I am not exactly sure what causes this, but it seems to be characteristic of the Black Beauty nickels. Is it excessive die wear due to hard planchets? Pretty cool in any case.



Thanks again to T-Bop for the contest and neat coin