Traits Atlas

Codebook, Minimums, Exceptions

Faceless Wear

Summary: Near-total loss of Abe’s facial modeling from wear, corrosion, or other surface events, producing a blank or flattened visage. The portrait reads as erased rather than merely toned or scratched–an absence that overtakes the coin’s primary figure.

Definition: Faceless requires an overwhelming loss of facial features (eyes, nose, mouth, cheek modeling). If the outline of Lincoln’s face and head is still clearly readable across most of the portrait, the coin should not be classified as Faceless.

Visual Character: Flattened relief with minimal feature cues; fields and devices may merge. Causes can vary (abrasion, corrosion, contamination, or deliberate alteration), but the outcome is a dominant visual erasure.

CENT #9908 – Faceless example — CENT #9908 – Faceless

CENT #9524 – Faceless example — CENT #9524 – Faceless

Faceless Variants (by cause)

CENT #70 – Vandalized erasure — CENT #70 – Vandalized

CENT #116 – Corroded facial loss — CENT #116 – Corroded

CENT #5346 – Contaminated masking of features — CENT #5346 – Contaminated

Exceptions

Not Faceless: If the outline of Lincoln’s head and facial contour is visible almost entirely, classify under the primary cause (e.g., Patina, Abraded, Residue) rather than Faceless.
Ambiguous cases: If only one or two features remain faintly, prefer Faceless when the overall read is erasure.

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