Question About 2006 Lincoln Cent Steps Missing

Hi Pennylover

can we a get a pic of the whole coin obverse and reverse ?

What it looks like from the closeup, is one of three things ,,either the steps have been partly polished away or they were struck thru something or they were struck weakly due to under pressure ,,

My opinion from this pic, is worn dies,, a look at the entire reverse may help to determine the accuracy of my opinion.

Rick

Another explanation to the "missing" steps could be the die itself. As a working hub increases in age, the finer details will start to deteriorate much the same way as a worn die. A thing to remember is that all hubs and dies are made from the single squeeze process and because of the increased pressure used, they do wear out. Looking at the process, the first die produced by a working hub should have crisp details, while the hundredth die produced by the same working hub will not show that quality. This also holds true for the master die that makes the working hubs; the more produced by that master die will of course affect the quality of the working hub. This is one reason that beginning of the year coins are more sort after than later in the year strikes; new master dies, new working hubs, new working dies = better strikes on coins.

Other possibilities concerning missing or mushy steps can also be an anomaly called wavy steps, which is classified as a doubled die. This is caused by extension of the columns into the stylobate and stairs, which in certain instances, may be seen as blurred or missing steps.

Your coin that you have pictured, appears to be a worn die or a working die that was produced by a late life working hub. To often we attribute weak strikes with gunk accumulation or weak pressure without thinking of the situation of the worn working hub or working die.

I hope that this helps.

WAVYSTEPS2003 aka BJ Neff