Extra Copper On This 2004 P LMC?

I'm struggling to see this as something other than a damaged coin. I know you say the metal is raised, but hear me out for a sec. The scratched looking area that intersects the columns would almost certainly not be on the die, as scratches or even a botched polishing job would make the recess on the die deeper, i.e. the metal would be raised higher than normal on the struck coin. But see how the scratched column area is actually deeper than the normal height should be, not more raised? This suggests the coin itself was damaged to me. Even though there are raised areas in the overall look of the scratches, I'm thinking that's because some areas are just pressed down further than others, giving it the *relative* appearance of being raised. However, I could be wrong and just making up a story that makes sense to me. Could you double check that the scratches in the field are not in areas dipping lower than the normal level of the field around it, excluding the metal pushed up/away by those impressions?

Well I'm not sure, but I see what you're saying now about how raised the metal is. What do you think happened? Do you think the die was somehow damaged very badly before striking this coin? It sure is curious. I hope someone else will jump in and offer an idea. Wish I could look at it in hand.

My opinion is that it's PMD. I disagree with your observation #1. Evident in "United States," is that the scratching is on the surface of the lettering. Also remember that gouging metal can result in the movement of the displaced amounts, creating the raised areas. I'm not sure that I see the relics of another coin that you mention in #3.

Going by Occam's Razor, which argues that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one, rather than this being a complex mint error, it's more likely that this coin had an unfortunate encounter with an abrasive surface. The coin is clearly quite worn for a 2004, so it's almost definitely had a hard life as a circulating cent.