Draped Bust Dollar Reverse 0

[MN1]

Only saw this once before in a photo and thought it was a one-time tampered with/damaged coin.  Seeing a news story earlier today about an 1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar in MS68 condition fetch $7.68 million dollars and then seeing the pictures I noticed it again.  I looked up the Draped Bust Silver Dollar and all pictured have these same blotchy spots on the reverse above the stars and under the words "STATES OF".  Why is that?  Did something have to be covered up at one point in time? It's first I'm seeing this where every coin of it's type looks like this.  I'm aware of coins being drilled for jewelry in the past and then filled later on and others shaved for what were called love tokens but something different appears to have been going on with these.

[JT2]

they are Clouds................   like if i had one my head would always be in the clouds .........

[DWLange]

Yes, clouds, as seen on the Great Seal of the United States from which this design was adapated.

[RWB]

Maybe it's a vast conspiracy discovered by the pillow-fool on TV, and they are really his brand of pillows, not clouds, on the coins...?

[MN1]

They are sad looking clouds.  Why did they feel the need to put those on the coin.  I didn't count them to see if there is some significance behind them like what the number of stars represent on coins but they give the appearance of filled holes.