What is the strange thing in the upper-left edge of this coin?

[Croatian Coin Collector]

While looking for a Carthaginian Gold Stater, I came across this coin:

At first glance, I saw nothing that bothered me about the coin, but then I zoomed in and saw that there is something strange in the upper-left edge of this coin, so can somebody here please tell me what that strange little thing is?

 

Edited October 8, 2024 by Croatian Coin Collector

[CPK]

Speck of dust?

[DonnaML]

2 hours ago, Croatian Coin Collector said:

While looking for a Carthaginian Gold Stater, I came across this coin:

 

At first glance, I saw nothing that bothered me about the coin, but then I zoomed in and saw that there is something strange in the upper-left edge of this coin, so can somebody here please tell me what that strange little thing is?

It would help if you put a dot or arrow next to whatever you're asking about.

[Ryro]

A speck of click bate?

Jk, seriously though, what are you talking about?

[Croatian Coin Collector]

25 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

It would help if you put a dot or arrow next to whatever you're asking about.

[El Cazador]

3 hours ago, Croatian Coin Collector said:

While looking for a Carthaginian Gold Stater, I came across this coin:

 

At first glance, I saw nothing that bothered me about the coin, but then I zoomed in and saw that there is something strange in the upper-left edge of this coin, so can somebody here please tell me what that strange little thing is?

Fine style, but poor surfaces

[Croatian Coin Collector]

7 minutes ago, El Cazador said:

Fine style, but poor surfaces

 

[Hrefn]

NGC may grade the surfaces as 4/5, but I do not agree.   Like an Impressionist painting, best appreciated from a distance.  Overall, a nice coin, though.   I would be happy to have it in my collection.  

[Croatian Coin Collector]

9 hours ago, Hrefn said:

NGC may grade the surfaces as 4/5, but I do not agree.   Like an Impressionist painting, best appreciated from a distance.  Overall, a nice coin, though.   I would be happy to have it in my collection.  

In my experience some coins that looked in pictures like they have or might have surface issues, had none when I actually saw them in person, and I would be willing to bet that is the case here as well, I doubt that both NGC and CNG would rate a coin with surface issues highly, but in any case, this thread isn't about that, it is about the strange thing in the upper-left edge of the coin, I haven't noticed anything like that on a coin before.

[sand]

Maybe it is a bit of dirt, from when the coin was in the ground. It's so small, that it amazes me, that you noticed it.

[Ed Snible]

More photos are needed.

I don't know what the purity of Carthage staters was.  I've heard Greek and Roman gold coins were about 23 karet, 95% gold.

Could this be a bit of bronze or base metal that didn't fully mix with the gold, that corroded?

 

[Croatian Coin Collector]

8 minutes ago, Ed Snible said:

More photos are needed.

I don't know what the purity of Carthage staters was.  I've heard Greek and Roman gold coins were about 23 karet, 95% gold.

Could this be a bit of bronze or base metal that didn't fully mix with the gold, that corroded?

 

Unfortunately, I don't own the coin, so I can't take any pictures, and the best picture I could find online is the NGC one I posted in the opening post.

[Croatian Coin Collector]

44 minutes ago, sand said:

Maybe it is a bit of dirt, from when the coin was in the ground. It's so small, that it amazes me, that you noticed it.

I am one of those people who notice when something is out of place, and it took me about a second after zooming in to notice that there was something weird in the upper-left edge of this coin.

[Croatian Coin Collector]

I have decided that I am not going to bid on it, if somebody else wants to bid on it, you can do so here: https://www.biddr.com/auctions/gadoury/browse?a=4979&l=6049999

Edited October 11, 2024 by Croatian Coin Collector