A damaged code does not make your device suspect, and no, there is not a second copy - the code lives on the packaging or a dedicated verification label, not on the device body itself, so once the panel is damaged that particular check is gone.

The important thing is what the code was ever for. It is one check, not the only check, and it was never designed to be the thing that settles the question on its own. A clean result adds confidence; it does not override the rest of what you can see. So work through what you still have: packaging quality and print, the finish and build of the device itself, how cleanly the pod seats and fits, and - the one that carries the most weight in practice - where you bought it. A device from a known UK retailer with tidy packaging and a proper pod fit is in good shape whether or not you can read every character.

If you want to work through those properly, the genuine OXVA check guide covers the visual side. And for anyone reading this before opening a new box: reveal the panel slowly and gently, because scratching aggressively is the single most common way people lose characters they later need.

Coin is the classic mistake. A fingernail or the edge of a bank card takes the coating off without gouging the print underneath. Learned that one the same way you did.

That is reassuring. Bought it from a proper UK shop, box was neat, pod clicks in exactly like my old one did. Sounds like I was worrying about the one check I broke rather than the four that all look fine.