1995 Lincoln Memorial Cent - Retained Lamination Error? 0

[CBRD]

Hello all.
I'm fairly new to the hobby and trying to get a consensus of more knowledgeable collectors than I.
In your opinions, is this a Retained Lamination Error?

[J P M]

It looks like someone put a scratch or two into it .

[Coinbuf]

Looks like a vice job, something was pressed against the coin to leave this impression.   It could have been intentional or unintentional, that will never be known.   We call coins like this vice jobs because some people do this in a bench vice to create fake errors.

[Greenstang]

It can’t be a lamination, it is a plated cent.  
Could also be something like glue that has spilled on it.  
Try soaking in acetone for a day and see if it comes off.  
No matter the cause, it is still damage.

[WayneT9639]

I'm no expert on this but to me it looks like this impression MAY HAVE BEEN in the planchet before the strike. I could be wrong. I base my theory on the fact that if this impression was made after the strike it would flatten a lot of the more minute and delicate details like the steps, the edge of the columns, etc. Just my "one cent". --Pun intended

[Coinbuf]

On 3/10/2023 at 12:50 PM, WayneT9639 said:

I'm no expert on this but to me it looks like this impression MAY HAVE BEEN in the planchet before the strike. I could be wrong. I base my theory on the fact that if this impression was made after the strike it would flatten a lot of the more minute and delicate details like the steps, the edge of the columns, etc. Just my "one cent". --Pun intended

Nothing was pressed onto the steps except for where the line is, from your reply I'm thinking that you are seeing the entire area between the lines as a depressed area.   It is not, just the line was pressed or cut into the surface of the coin not the entire area.

[J P M]

Without seeing belter pictures or in hand. The cracks do not look raised I will stand with PMD on this one. 

Edited March 11, 2023 by J P M

[CBRD]

At first I thought it was a die break by how it starts at the rim, through the C and E, up the steps...but then it gets "flakey" looking in a large area to the right, then goes back to a solid line, and the strangest part (or, one of them) is how it "stair-steps" down below the 8th column. Eventually, it all terminates into what looks like a strike-through - as it is the only area that is lower.
Maybe these magnified pictures and a different angle of lighting will help.
Thank you all for your input...this is great.

[CBRD]

...and, is that a doubled column to the right of #4?

[Coinbuf]

On 3/10/2023 at 5:06 PM, CBRD said:

...and, is that a doubled column to the right of #4?

No part of the design, the columns inside the Memorial. 

[CBRD]

I appears that part of this was on the planchet before it was struck.

[CBRD]

I totally agree after assigning some topographical color to it. Honestly, I think the entire thing was on the planchet before the strike. It's not a substance on the coin, and if it's from vise jaws - they need a new vice.

[J P M]

On 3/10/2023 at 9:44 PM, CBRD said:

I appears that part of this was on the planchet before it was struck.

A good illustration. If it is lower it could be there was something wrong with the planchet before the strike. You could send it to CONECA for a look I think it is a $5 fee for a look see .  

[powermad5000]

My only reservation with that being in the planchet before the coin was struck would mean the planchet would be thinner in that "lower" area. That to me would mean there would be less metal to flow into the spaces in the die during the strike and the actual struck image in the "low" spot would be weaker (less metal to flow), and that is not the case in this coin as the image seems to be completely unaffected by whatever happened here.

[J P M]

On 3/12/2023 at 3:26 AM, powermad5000 said:

My only reservation with that being in the planchet before the coin was struck would mean the planchet would be thinner in that "lower" area. That to me would mean there would be less metal to flow into the spaces in the die during the strike and the actual struck image in the "low" spot would be weaker (less metal to flow), and that is not the case in this coin as the image seems to be completely unaffected by whatever happened here.

That is a good point. The only thing other than a vice job I can think of would be zinc rot under the copper. I love a good CSI (Coin Surface Investigation)  In the end it will not change much but it is still fun.

[VKurtB]

On 3/10/2023 at 1:50 PM, WayneT9639 said:

I'm no expert on this but to me it looks like this impression MAY HAVE BEEN in the planchet before the strike. I could be wrong. I base my theory on the fact that if this impression was made after the strike it would flatten a lot of the more minute and delicate details like the steps, the edge of the columns, etc. Just my "one cent". --Pun intended

You ARE wrong.