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 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,207 |
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Valued Member
United States
63 Posts |
For those who collect this series I have a question about surfaces. I have seen many high grade specimens both raw and slabbed that have what look like hairline scratches that would indicate a prior cleaning. However upon closer examination the scratches appear only in the fields and do not show on any of the raised devices on the coin. I recently acquired a slabbed 1895 Zs that exhibits these scratches. The coin does not appear to have been cleaned or rubbed with a cloth but under 10x the fields show these scratches that start on one side of a device and reappear on the other side with no marring of the device in between. It has nice luster and cartwheel.
Would these scratches be from poorly prepared planchets or worn dies that were not lapped properly? If the scratches were on the planchet before strike, one would think that they would be obliterated under the striking pressure so I am leaning toward a scratched die surface as the culprit. Is this considered a chronic problem with the series? Thanks to all.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3229 Posts |
Without seeing the coin it is hard to confirm, but it sounds like you could be talking about die polishing lines. Here is a pic of die polish lines on the RX of a Wheat cent.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1666 Posts |
Yes sounds very much like die polish lines. A common occurrence on coins of many different countries even up into modern times.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1801 Posts |
Raised lines like in the example above from TJscoins would indicate die polish marks. However scratches into the surface of the coin would more likely be adjustment marks left from filing the planchet prior to strike. Please post pictures
Edited by jfransch
06/30/2015 8:41 pm
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Valued Member
 United States
63 Posts |
Thanks for everyone's comments. The marks are definitely scratches and not raised die polishing lines. I am fairly familiar with die polishing lines that are often seen on Miss Liberty's cheek and the eagle's breast on Morgan dollars. These lines appear as true scratches in the fields. If they are adjustment marks I wonder just what was used to adjust the planchets? A 150 grit lapping block with the hope that striking pressure would conceal the work? I would think (perhaps incorrectly) that by 1895 at a mint like Zs the process of weight adjustment would be a bit more refined than what you might expect in say...1820!  The link below will give you a much better picture than I could provide and shows the scratches on the obverse very clearly. The PCGS photo makes the coin look dull and dirty but in hand it is very attractive with nice luster for an AU 58. http://www.pcgs.com/cert/32233898 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1666 Posts |
I see what looks like a radial die crack near the tips of the rays between 12 and 2 o'clock. The other lines do not look like adjustment marks, and I agree 1895 is pretty late for them anyhow. They look like hairlines.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1801 Posts |
They look like cleaning marks, not adjustment marks.
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Valued Member
United States
63 Posts |
Yes, there is a nice radial die crack at the upper edge of the rays and the scratches do look like cleaning lines. However, many of the lines are in the fields between the rays, starting on one side of the ray and continuing under the ray and matching perfectly line for line on the other side, even quite deeply and very close to the edge of the cap. But under 16x (the most powerful loup I have) there is no scratch that connects across the top of the ray itself! Except for a few random bag marks I see no hairlines that would connect any of the scratches on the surface of any of the devices. I don't know how you could rub a coin that harshly and not produce visible hairlines or other fine scratches at some places on the high points of the coin! I am baffled by that and the fact that with such obvious, visible scratching, PCGS would not have considered it cleaned and sent it back ungraded! Yes, I know what many of us think about TPGs, and I enjoyed jfransch's "experiment' in another thread on this forum, but if these are just hairlines and PCGS missed it...well, inexcusable would be too polite and I would find myself using inappropriate language to express my true feelings.  |
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Replies: 7 / Views: 1,207 |
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Posted 06/30/2015 09:49 am
