2008 Lincoln Cent Defective Planchet?

I'm gonna throw out two thoughts and then see what Chuck and Mike D. think about this one.

It could be a defective planchet. I would expect to see some evidence of the defect in the planchet on the Memorial columns a little bit but I see none. The columns are a deeper part of the die and the defect in the planchet may have been obliterated by the strike and that may be why I don't see anything on the columns. So it could be but I'm not sure.

Since the questionable defects seem to be behind the Memorial building, it could indicate some kind of damage to the higher portions of the die. That would of course, be the fields and the areas behind the columns, so to speak.

I am not entirely sure as I've not seen the coin close up nor have I seen anything quite like it personally.

Thanks,
Bill

This is indeed puzzling. If it was a planchet defect, then it should show most strongly on the design, since the effective striking pressure is lower here. If it was a die defect, then it should ordinarily be raised. If it was struck-through error, then it shouldn't respect the boundaries of the design. Perhaps I could makes some progress if I could examine it under a microscope. Right now, I suspect it is a die problem. I think something scraped across the die face, and as it did so, it left something behind on the only part of the die it touched -- the field. Kind of like what happens when you drag a crayon across a hard surface. Bits and pieces of the crayon may break off and cling to the surface. On the left side there is a light streak that resembles other examples of die damage I've come across.

Thanks guys. Mr. Diamond I can send you this coin if you're interested in studying it.

Thanks, Mike