Grading for Production Defects: Amazing Fantasy #15 (2004) had a somewhat widespread "Wolverine Claw" production flaw 0

[Ace Bandage]

How does CGC handle grading for production defects that affect some, but not copies of a particular issue?

The specific example I'm interested in is below (i've posted on a different thread but figured this would be a better place). 

Several copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 (the 2004 version)  were printed with what looks like 3 claw marks on the top right hand section of the back cover.  

I personally have 2 of these copies with this defect and I've seen many more (see the pictures from ebay below) with the same problem.  The ones with this flaw typically grade out at 9.4. 

If this were a commonly known/recognized flaw, would it grade any differently?

 

Edited September 26, 2020 by Ace Bandage

[theCapraAegagrus]

If CGC recognizes it as a mass production flaw, then the defect simply keeps it from being in the 9.9-10 range.

[Ace Bandage]

Wonder what the threshold is between production and mass production.

[Ace Bandage]

Maybe these are actually special edition Wolverine Watermarks.

[EC Star&Bar]

It can be really difficult to determine if much of the run was affected for that issue.  I can recall buying DC Comics Presents #1 off of a stand in 1978, and while there were easily a dozen copies to choose from, all of them had had their bottom staple removed & replaced.  (Apparently too far from the fold.)  In all the years since, I've never seen or heard of a copy produced that way.

[The Lions Den]

I'm sure the modern graders at CGC are aware of the flaw and grade the book accordingly. The difference is whether or not every copy has that flaw. The copies without that particular flaw will often grade higher unless other flaws are present that affect the grade. For instance, one of the copies shown above appears to have numerous spine stress lines which break color...