One diagnostic feature of an exceedingly weak strike is the
absence of reeding. The dies’ feeble impact fails to generate
any planchet expansion. As a result, the edge of the planchet is
not forced into the vertical ridges on the collar’s working
face. The smooth edge of the unstruck planchet is retained. A
weakly-struck dime illustrates this principle (see photo). A far
weaker strike appears on a second dime. The obverse shows only a
faint trace of Roosevelt’s face. The reverse design is
represented only by one or two faint dimples. How, then, can we
explain the presence of well-developed reeding at 12:00 (obverse
clock position)? The reeding fades out at both ends, with the
entire arc of reeding extending from 10:00 to 2:00. This dime is
one of at least seven similar examples that have appeared on the
online auction site eBay over the last several months, all from
the same seller. Some of the strikes are even weaker than this
piece. I suspect all of these partly-reeded dimes came from the
same malfunctionin