1797 1C S-121b, Gripped Edge, LI__RTY

[foxpigsquid]

As these don't show up often (at a price I can afford), I was able to pick this up recently due to the obverse damage and overall corrosion. However, I'm stumped by the missing BE in LIBERTY. Looking through past auction archives, I cannot find evidence of other 1797s (or any EAC) like this, so I'm assuming it's PMD. However, if I overlay the outline from this (https://www.pcgs.com/cert/37592640), I can maybe convince myself of a faint BE in the gap?

Were the letters tooled off years ago and corrosion has overtaken evidence of damage?

Is it possible it was stuck through grease? (https://www.error-ref.com/struck-thr...al-grease-oil/)

Thanks for any info.

[MintErrors]

In my opinion, this coin was a victim of environmental damage. It has that classic pitting, a tell-tale sign that sticks out for me. It was more than likely in the ground. Several letters on the reverse seem to suffer the same fate. If this coin was left in the ground longer, it probably would have been unrecognizable.

From there, its difficult to know if it was subject to some harsh chemical(s) to make the coin "presentable". I base that on seeing the coin and the pitting, but there appears to be no dirt or grime on the surface and little to none in the crevices of the pitting. Too bad about the PMD but, its circulated and once introduced into that non-protective world, anything can happen whether intentional or not.