Lamination vs. mark

[physics-fan3.14]

I know what a lamination is, and I am fully acquainted with marks on my coins. What I need to know is this: does a lamination leave displaced metal? When a coin is marked, say a bag mark, there is a certain amount of metal displacement. The metal is pushed up to form a gouge and corresponding hill. But does the same happen in a lamination, or is the metal just gone? The reason I ask this is because I just purchased a Franklin on Ebay, and I can't tell whether the mark I see on his jawbone is a bagmark, or a (very small) lamination.

 

And the follow up to this is: does a lamination affect the grade? This coin is a 1954S graded NGC MS-64FBL. Now, with the exception of this one mark on his cheekbone, this is the nicest Franklin I have ever held. It is nicer than any of my 65s. Is one pin sized lamination enough to knock it from a 66 to a 64? Because we're talking a $3000 difference, and that is considerable. Or was the grader just having a bad day.

 

Here are the seller's images, sorry I can't take my own. The spot in question can be seen on his jaw, but you can't tell anything really.

[Stanley]

Are you talking about the dot below his ear?

[MAULEMALL]

physics-fan3.14

I think from the photos he supplied that there is a very soft strike to the coin that is going to hold the grade down....

If you can't see the 3 wisps of hair in front of his ear then I don't see it grading above 64

[Stanley]

Lamination refers to bonding together of thin layers.

 

Delamination would be the separation of these layers.

[Wihlborg]

What I need to know is this: does a lamination leave displaced metal?

 

It depends. If the metal breaks off there will just be an area of missing metal.

 

There are times when the piece of metal is retained however, and then you can see anything from what looks like metal flaking off the surface of the coin to a piece of metal sticking up straight up from the coin’s surface with the void where the metal came from on the in the coin’s surface.

 

John

[TomB]

John gave a terrific answer for you, but I will ask you whether you believe the line directly above this mark is a scratch on the coin or not. The vertical line would seem to continue on to that lamination/mark you are wondering about if one were to extrapolate its direction.

[physics-fan3.14]

There is a scratch vertical from the mark in question, but it is unrelated I believe. It also appears exaggerated in the picture, in hand it is not as bad. What I did discover upon further examination is a couple of parallel lines going from the mark towards his eyebrows, that seem to be further 'delamination'. I didn't notice these at first, and looking even closer I see something similar at his eyebrow. You wouldn't notice these other things unless you were looking for them. I'm guessing its these that keep it from a 65.

 

And yes, MM, the strike is somewhat weak, but this is a San Francisco Franklin we are talking about. The strike is always weak. This is a FBL coin, which means the strike is pretty good, compared to other coins of this date. My 57D has about the same amount of hair detail, and its a 65 FBL.

 

Thanks for the comments, guys.