1951 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Clipped

Bump.

Should it stay or should it go? Thanks.

Should be the area of the clip. Will confirm at home, but I think that is the clip area

Don't throw it back. Though damaged, it's genuine error - and a much more interesting one than has previously been suggested.

I propose that this is a double clip, with a close overlap.

Firstly, the shape and rounding of the design rim around the clip(s) is correct. The obverse also has the correct metal flow towards the clip(s) as does the reverse though it may be a little disfigured.

The Blakesley effect is hard to fake. Usually a faked Blakesley effect will show strong grinding marks - this example does not.

Now to why I think it's a double clip, and why others thought it looked strange. Notice how in the middle of the abnormally long "clip" it comes to a point. This is the tell-tale sign that it is two overlapped clips. It would be too large for a normal clip, and too abnormal for a small straight clip. If confirmed, it would be a very rare error. Overlapped clips don't occur very often, and when they do they go for strong prices (for clips).