Explanation Wanted Re:1913 T1 Buffalo Nickel Coin Surfaces

I see a lot of flow marks which is a sign of Die Deterioration.

Centerfire, die issues such as rust or deterioration do not affect the grade.

plus its a beauty. this die has been heavily abraded in multiple areas in an attempt to extend its life.

Others have covered the issues with this die. I'll just offer a couple additional thoughts.

For all three mints, 1913 was a harsh learning experience. Philadelphia had a much longer experience with cupro-nickel coinage, but the vastly different striking issues between the low relief Liberty nickel and the high relief, cluttered design, and rapid design change of the Buffalo nickel caught all of the mints by surprise. Die clashes were common. The amount of design elements made the clashing more obvious. Die wear was made much worse by the striking pressure needed to bring up the design. And the press operators lived in terror of losing a hand or arm every time they had to polish dies, because the coining presses lacked today's safety features. As a result, they didn't exactly treat the die polishing as gentle restoration of art objects.

This reverse die is LDS/VLDS. The areas beneath "STATES OF AM" and beneath the buffalo's beard look like the beginning of die subsidence. There is extensive clash polishing. And there are ample highly visible clash marks. None of that affects the grade. At least in theory, the grade should measure the state of preservation after the coin left the mint.