Posted 04/21/2025 1:18 pm
To me, those look like die cracks. Raised, thin, precise. Laminations tend to be a bit ragged along the edge and are often accompanied by striations or discoloration lines where the metal is mixed unevenly or mixed with contaminants.
Another clue that they are die cracks is that the ones on the reverse follow the letters, which are cavities on the dies. Laminations tend to run straight(ish) because they are inclusions in the metal that is rolled, stretched, and cut into planchets before ever getting struck by the die. They don't really follow coin features or die weak spots because they exist before the coin is struck. Often laminations run right up and over big devices or straight through letters.
Another clue that they are die cracks is that the ones on the reverse follow the letters, which are cavities on the dies. Laminations tend to run straight(ish) because they are inclusions in the metal that is rolled, stretched, and cut into planchets before ever getting struck by the die. They don't really follow coin features or die weak spots because they exist before the coin is struck. Often laminations run right up and over big devices or straight through letters.
