1946 Jefferson Lamination?

Very interesting. Looks more "severe" than a lamination issue, but if it is lamination it's a very strong example.

Thanks for sharing.

Can you post a pic of the whole obverse?

It looks like a capped die strike. Metal from a previous strike is trapped in the die.

The trapped metal usually thins and flattens out with repeated striking, and eventually comes out (or even falls out) at some point. This particular coin looks to me like it could be 'the' coin that the trapped metal came out with. If so, you would have one heck of a find.

Hard to tell without picture (or scan) of the whole coin, 'or' pictures of the rest of the coin behind and below the head including the rim. Is there any way of dislodging the coin from the microscope?

Ooooo....I just learned how to edit my posts. Maybe I won't appear to be stupider than I really am in the future.

Gforce, since you have coin in hand and cannot show the entire coin, it would probably be better for you to assess the cause and effect yourself rather than to be influenced by myself or anyone else.

First of all, take note of the relief of both portions of the obverse, ask these questions, and then decide for yourself the answers:

Which of these two portions has the greater detail....(his face or the back of his head)?

Which side of Jefferson's head is of higher relief....(his face or the back of his head)?

In the first picture, refer to the bottom of the coin at the rim near the word 'IN', and also his chin, and the corner of his mouth.

In the second picture refer to the delineation line between his wig and his head.

In the third picture, refer to the top of his head near the rim.

'Imagine' peeling away the portion of the higher relief (which ever side you believe that is). Do you believe that the portion with the higher relief is masking a more detailed design underneath it or not? Without the portion of higher relief, would you then see his entire mouth, or none of it?

Yep, large lamination and a small portion next to the eye has delaminated.

It is very rare for a capped die strike to stick to another coin but when it happens you have an object that is markedly misshapen and does not look much like a coin, it would be called a bonded capped die. It would be virtually impossible for it to even make it into circulation looking like metal scrap. A regular capped die strike should be instantly recognizable due to its unusual shape. When it gets stuck to a die, it flattens out and starts to wrap around the shank of the die, creating a cup.

To someone interested , it might sell for 3 to 5 dollars. It is a nice example of that type of error.