Washington Die Crack? Or Deterioration?

Die cracks very rarely turn out to be parallel with the edge design, always go from one design element to another shaped like a sidewalk crack going from weakest point to weakest point.

Die wear usually occurs first near the rim and looks like something has been chewing at the die, clawing out bits of the surface causing a slight raise in the level of the field.

The quarter posted here is die wear.

Just remember this much when figuring a die crack versus anything else - they are ALWAYS sharp and have very well defined edges. They also generally NEVER follow a specific geometric shape. They really are like cracks in the sidewalk, only in reverse. They are jagged-shaped, sharp-edged, and don't follow any pattern. Die cracks almost always lead from a sharp change of relief in the design (a corner, letter, number, etc) and usually run either to the edge of the design or to a nearby detail. It's a crack in metal (the die) and is being filled by metal (the coin).

Hey, we're here to learn together. Nobody learns without stumbling a bit!