Definition

• Deface.  Purposefully mutilating the face of a die to prevent its further use; to cancel. Dies can be defaced by grinding lines across their surface so a pristine specimen cannot be struck from it. When a defaced die is so used to strike a specimen the piece is said to be struck from cancelled dies. Other methods of defacing are grinding away the entire striking surface, by torch melting, or by a sledge hammer blow to obliterate all or part of the design.
  A defaced coin or medal is called vandalized.

  excerpted with permission from

  An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology

  For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators

  COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON

  Roger W. Burdette, Editor

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