1950 Penny Missing Waves

[Avocet]

Alas, not a variety; I think I can rationalise it as a planchet defect, but I'd be delighted to hear what others think.

I hope the images are clear enough. I see a fairly well-defined circular or elliptical area where the die has not properly impacted the surface of the coin. Until I took the pictures I hadn't noticed that the right edge of the date zero falls within the area in question and the character has suffered some distortion. Maybe this complicates the thinking a bit?

I can see no corresponding distortion on the obverse, making me think that the planchet may have had a weak patch which fell away during the minting process.

I have no interest in value. I imagine most people looking for a 1950 penny would want a normal one in better condition! But if someone's trying to put together a penny date run of coins with minting errors, the scarce dates would be tough to find.

Edited 12 hours ago by Avocet
Typo

[secret santa]

Rather than missing waves, I'd say that it's the exergual line that's (partially) missing, probably damaged post-mintage.

[Avocet]

9 hours ago, secret santa said:

Rather than missing waves, I'd say that it's the exergual line that's (partially) missing, probably damaged post-mintage.

"Missing Waves" was intended as a joke (and should've been in the singular).

What kind of force could have caused such a surgical removal of part of the face of a coin, without any sign of damage extending beyond the affected area or through to the other side?

[terrysoldpennies]

It was probably a badly formed planchet .