Found CRH. This 1989-P nickel seems to be in lightly circulated condition, evidenced by the remaining steps. It is visibly very weak on the left side, both obverse and reverse, in the same area. Coin is correct mass. Both die faces do exhibit late die state deterioration.
You need to weigh it to rule out a tapered planchet error. It doesn't look like a bifacial, unipolar grease strike, as these usually show a strong design rim.
When I found this nickel, a tapered planchet was my first thought, but the mass is exactly 5.00g. I suppose it could still be thicker on one side and too thin on the other.
The letters in the flattened area really do look like they experienced metal flow from the strike. I guess that could also be a result of extreme deterioration melting the die face. Nickels are pretty tough, so I think if it had been scraped by external mechanical force, it would have left more noticeable abrasions.
What about a wide collar error? If the coin were slightly wider than usual—or not perfectly round—I don't know that I could visually register the difference. The reference images do seem to show a weakness along the coin rim.
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