1913 Buffalo Nickel – First Year Issue – Major Obverse Ragged Lamination Error (Pre-Strike Planchet Flaw)

Add a visually arresting mechanical error to your collection with this 1913 Buffalo Nickel featuring a major obverse lamination error. Struck during the inaugural year of James Earle Fraser’s iconic design, this coin showcases the intense structural imperfections sometimes native to early 20th-century U.S. copper-nickel alloy sheets. 

Rather than a typical straight or curved clip, this coin boasts a massive, deeply recessed ragged lamination cavity across the top-left quadrant of the obverse. An improper alloy blend or trapped impurities caused a heavy layer of the planchet's surface to flake off. This left behind a deeply textured, highly crystalline void that completely blankets the back of the Native American chief's headdress and braids. 

Because the die came down over this ragged surface void, you can see unique strike traits along the borders of the cavern, proving beyond a doubt that this is an authentic, mint-born planchet catastrophe rather than post-mint damage. The date "1913" remains beautifully sharp, clear, and perfectly centered below the defect, anchoring the coin's historic pedigree. Vetted by a highly experienced specialist, this spectacular "ragged planchet" coin is a premier conversation piece for the error enthusiast.