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Something I've discovered on VEDS coins is the existence of Working Hub Scratches. When looking at a coin surface in detail, we all see the "hits" and "scratches" and "gouges" and such that happen to the coin after striking, presumably while in the bags that transport them to distribution facilities. These are considered PMD, Post Mint Damage, and are a primary reason for coins to be downgraded from MS70 to lower grades. All of these are incuse, meaning they go below the surface of the coin.
Sophisticated collectors also know about "die scratches", which can look similar to incuse PMD scratches, but are raised above the die surface. There are countless threads on the various forums with pictures of scratches, trying to identify if they are die scratches or PMD. In theory, die scratches "should not" cause a downgrading of the coin, but they are unsightly and often mistaken for PMD scratches. I have never seen a high grade modern coin that had prominent die scratches.
Taking this concept one step further, what if there were incuse scratches on a Working Hub? These could be caused by surfacing work done on a blank hub prior to it being impressed by the Master Die. If the hub was not impressed with sufficient pressure to obliterate these scratches, they would remain and could not be removed due to the proximity of raised design features. When the hub was used to make a Working Die, those scratches would create raised "hub scratches" on the die surface similar to how an incuse scratch in a die creates raised "die scratches" on the coins it strikes. These raised scratches on the die would then create incuse "scratches" on the struck coins.
I have seen VEDS coins which don't show Hub Scratches, but instead show many light Die Scratches. My presumption is that Hub Scratches, since they are raised on the die, would be quickly obliterated by die polishing work, since they are very shallow and raised above the die surface. This would explain why they are not commonly seen, and I have only found them on VEDS coins, likely struck before any surfacing work was done on the die after hubbing.
To show you what I'm talking about, here is an example on a 1955-S Cent. Note the die has already started to show some wear as evidenced by surface polishing in the field behind the head, so this die has already moved from VEDS into EDS:
21-10-14_082148_M=B_R=8_S=4_3.JPG
Sophisticated collectors also know about "die scratches", which can look similar to incuse PMD scratches, but are raised above the die surface. There are countless threads on the various forums with pictures of scratches, trying to identify if they are die scratches or PMD. In theory, die scratches "should not" cause a downgrading of the coin, but they are unsightly and often mistaken for PMD scratches. I have never seen a high grade modern coin that had prominent die scratches.
Taking this concept one step further, what if there were incuse scratches on a Working Hub? These could be caused by surfacing work done on a blank hub prior to it being impressed by the Master Die. If the hub was not impressed with sufficient pressure to obliterate these scratches, they would remain and could not be removed due to the proximity of raised design features. When the hub was used to make a Working Die, those scratches would create raised "hub scratches" on the die surface similar to how an incuse scratch in a die creates raised "die scratches" on the coins it strikes. These raised scratches on the die would then create incuse "scratches" on the struck coins.
I have seen VEDS coins which don't show Hub Scratches, but instead show many light Die Scratches. My presumption is that Hub Scratches, since they are raised on the die, would be quickly obliterated by die polishing work, since they are very shallow and raised above the die surface. This would explain why they are not commonly seen, and I have only found them on VEDS coins, likely struck before any surfacing work was done on the die after hubbing.
To show you what I'm talking about, here is an example on a 1955-S Cent. Note the die has already started to show some wear as evidenced by surface polishing in the field behind the head, so this die has already moved from VEDS into EDS:
21-10-14_082148_M=B_R=8_S=4_3.JPG
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