2008 Lincoln Cent Error/Variety?

[captainfwiffo]

I was searching through some pennies today and found this weird one... In the middle of Abe's bust, right below his ear there is a flat area. It's featureless and shiny like the field of the coin. Several of the low spots on the bust are flat and shiny like this. I don't recall ever seeing anything quite like this.

Is it just an overpolished die, or some sort of hubbing error? The die does not appear to be in a very worn state to my (not so experienced) eye - the edges of the features are all well defined, the surface is smooth and I don't see any significant chips or cracks.

What am I looking at here?

 

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[enamel7]

Over polished.

 

[captainfwiffo]

I guess I got overexcited again. Half an hour after I see something crazy I've never seen before, I suddenly see it again on ten more coins.

 

[Metalmole]

I have seen these before but on the Monroe dollar coins I was also excited until I noticed it was on every coin in the roll they called it a "spiked" collar