1941-D Mercury Dime - Shattered Die, Bi-Level Die Cracks, Lamination, or PMD?

[CentR]

Obverse is covered in rounded recessed areas. The coin is residue-free. Areas inside of cracks, like around forehead and IN GO WE TR, and back of head, are recessed and have metal edges around them. These sunken/recessed areas retain details, suggesting they are the lower sections of bi-level die cracks on a disintegrating die. It’s strikingly beautiful in person, and not coming through well on images. More extensive and curved cracks than online examples of disintigrating dies, so I was wondering if is it due to something else?

[MintErrors]

In my opinion, the eastern side near TY looks like some lamination, but it may have been caused by whatever the rest of this issue is. It almost looks like something was spilled on the coin and it dried. It could be a clear liquid, if that area is slightly raised.

At your own risk, you might try to use a toothpick and see if there is a layer of residue on the coin. Lightly poke at an area. Be gentle, avoid scraping the surface.

Or, if the areas are sunken into the coin, it could have been some sort of acid bath, even ketchup that ate a little into the coin. I then suspect PMD. I think I see some damage where some of the material may have eaten away some of the rim, down near IN GOD WE TRUST.

[CentR]

Thank you for the help. I see what you’re saying regarding the lamination-like flakey tiering on the eastern side

In regards to the other areas, like around the forehead, around IN GO WE TR, and the back of head, these areas are residue free, recessed/sunken, with full details, and surrounded by toned metal edges.

I took new images with side sunlight where some of the less toned metal edges shine so you can see the edges of the recessed areas better. The toning on edges of most recessed areas makes it difficult to image how beautiful they look in person.

The retention of detail in the recessed/sunken areas is what is most striking to me. They are decently recessed so if surface metal was removed by PMD or flaked off in these areas, some or all detail would be lost, and is isn’t.

Is there somewhere I can send it and pay for an evaluation?

[MintErrors]

In my opinion, with the close ups, it looks like pmd. It looks like acid treated.

You can place a post in the CONECA SERVICES forum here on the main forum page. Go under examinations and a CONECA staff member will examine your coin photos and let you know what their opinion is. That is free.

Place some good photos of the areas of concern and as much of a text description as you can. It's best to overload them with data on the first post because it may take a while for them to respond.

To send it in to a third party grading service, it will cost more that $50 to get it examined, then graded and encapsulated. What you do is totally up to you, but if it's to make money on the coin, it may cost more than the coin is worth. If there is a coin shop or coin show in your area, you may want some one to look at this before sending it in to get examined. The third party grading services are

Pcgs.com
NgcCoin.com
ANACS.com

Anacs may be cheaper way out, but it's still north of $50.00. I understand if you want closure and want to see if it is something worthy, but it can turn into an expensive adventure.

Good luck on whichever direction you choose.

[CentR]

Thanks Gary for the helpful comments. In regard to acid, I apologize my photos aren't good enough to show what's going on. The sunken areas, like around IN GOD WE TRUST, are sunken down more than the height of the letters, and the letters still have full detail. Acid would have eaten into the letters in these areas pretty bad based on how deep the depressions are around them and the letters would have appeared at least somewhat, if not almost entirely burned away.
I am considering sending it off because if it turns out to be a deteriorated die with bi-level breaks, it would be an extreme example and that would be fun to have a verified extreme example in my mercury dime error and variety collection.

[Moccasin Creek Coins]

Obverse is covered in rounded recessed areas. The coin is residue-free. Areas inside of cracks, like around forehead and IN GO WE TR, and back of head, are recessed and have metal edges around them. These sunken/recessed areas retain details, suggesting they are the lower sections of bi-level die cracks on a disintegrating die. It’s strikingly beautiful in person, and not coming through well on images. More extensive and curved than online examples of disintigrating dies, so I was wondering if is it due to something else?

I think some how metal object or other coin was pressed into this Dime. I have a nickel with simular features.

[CentR]

Cool! Same shattered die bi-level crack look with high detail lowered sections surrounded by neat metal boarders.

Anything that would remove metal to cause the sections to be lower would take out some or all details, which rules out a lot of causes, including lamination and any PMD I’ve been able to think of. I hadn’t thought of it being due to a coin on coin impact. Can you elaborate?

Also, is that a small die break on the cheek in the middle of the second image? The dime has a small die break on the nose where a small CUD formed. Seems to be the only place that a section of the shattered due had broken off to any great extent.


Is it ok to post more images of the nickel on here so people, including me, can compare, maybe one of the whole obverse? There’s not many extensive shattered die examples online for me to compare to. Most are from dies that are early in the process and not extensive.