Die Damage: 

Die scrapes

Definition: Die scrapes are a form of die damage generally caused by the feeder/ejector scraping across the die face. While the anvil die is most commonly affected, die scrapes can appear on the hammer die or both dies simultaneously. Die scrapes appear on the coin as closely-spaced parallel ridges. Die scrapes can also be caused by other mishaps involving unidentified moving parts.

The image to the below left shows die scrapes (indicated by white arrows) on the reverse die of a 1994-P Lincoln cent.

The image to the above right shows die scrapes on a 1997-P Washington quarter. The strongest damage can be seen under the eagle’s right wing. Notice that the orientation of this die scrapes is from WNW to ESE.

The 2012-P Jefferson nickel pictured above shows die scrapes to the bottom left of Monticello’s dome and also beneath that building. Notice that these die scrapes are in the same WNW to ESE direction as the die scrapes seen on the 1997-P Washington quarter seen above.