Mint error or weak strike on Proof

[KMAG100]

I was wondering if anyone would comment on the pictures below. The pictures with the green background is a proof coin that shows excessive weakness on the reverse (winged liberty) and obverse (eagle side). I addition, I added pictures of what I have typically found with this year (black background coin). Weakness in the right wing is common on the reverse for this year, or at least that has been what I have found. Last, keep in mind the official strike of this proof coin for this year is 10,000, and 1992 was a first year of a re-design for the reverse. While I have seen weakness in strike to this level in business strikes, however I have not seen it to this level on a proof. So I was wondering if this is a mint error, strike through, or pressure related, or spacing issue...What?

 

WEAK STRIKE REVERSE

 

 

WEAK STRIKE OBVERSE

 

 

COMMON STRIKE REVERSE

 

COMMON STRIKE OBVERSE

 

As it is easy to see there is a significant difference in the strike. Anyway comments would be appreciated.

[Conder101]

I would strongly suspect a counterfeit.

[KMAG100]

In hand other than strike there is nothing about the coin that leads me to believe it is a counterfeit, however it never occurred to me of being a potential counterfeit, so I guess i'll pull it back out and study it from that lens. I did purchase the coin out of Mexico from a dealer I have purchased coin from in the past and never had a problem. If we were to rule out counterfeit do you have nay other ideas?

[wdrob]

 

I would have also guessed counterfeit.

 

Look at the face. It looks like a crossbreed between an extraterrestrial and New Mexico faith healer.

 

I know this one example is a 1982 and not a 1992, but I will include a known 1992 and regardless of year, that coin just looks very poorly struck and engraved. I have purchased many, many Libertads and that is the first one I have seen with that funny looking head and neck, as well as other curious features.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you checked all the preliminary indicators such as weight, diameter, magnetic, etc....?

 

The only thing left to do after that would be a specific gravity test.... and that is where I am lost.

 

 

[physics-fan3.14]

A weak strike will show as incompleteness in the *HIGHEST* design elements. Not the lowest, as you have shown here. Remember, the die is the inverse of the design - the highest points of the die (and thus, those which will make first contact with the planchet) are the lowest points of the coin (usually, the fields).

 

Thus, what you have there is most definitely *NOT* a weak strike.

[KMAG100]

I'm going to check it out...yes the face and neck is completely under struck and looks from a different planet....the comparison coins you are using are business strikes...there is considerable differences between the PF and the BU for this series for some dates. Your 1982 was the original design for the reverse. The 1992 marked the first year of the second redesign for the reverse. Diameters is good but I will have to check weight

[coinman_23885]

I would strongly suspect a counterfeit.

 

That was my first thought as well.

[RWB]

In the original, Victory carries a dead squirrel in her left hand. In the OP's first photos she holds a road-kill raccoon.

 

Ungodly ugly and crude regardless or origin.

[asdfgh]

You can see this if the die was over polished. There are many example in the morgan dollar series.

Sometime the die will be polished to remove a clash. The feature that are the least raised get polished away. Very typical where the wing meets the body and in the center of the wings. The field is the flat portion of the die as one polishes away on the flat the minor features start to dissapear.

[KMAG100]

The field is the flat portion of the die as one polishes away on the flat the minor features start to dissapear.

 

Ok, now that is very interesting.

 

In this series design (1992-1995) if there is and issue with sharpness of detail its almost always involves the right wing and in that specific area. What is funny is the 1/2 oz and the 1/4 oz for 1992 have amazing sharpness in detail in the right wing in that area. thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

[RWB]

Polishing, or surface abrasion, has little to do with the sharpness of relief.

[asdfgh]

Correct, polishing the field has nothing to do with sharpness of detail, only missing or polished away

features.