1913 TII Buffalo Nickel question

[jesbroken]

I just purchased a 1913 TII Buff(seller's pic) just for the die clash under the chin(at least that is what I think it is). I would like your opinions as to this anomaly-what caused it and exactly where from the reverse does it actually come from(again assuming it is a die clash) If not a die clash-then what caused it.

Thanks for your help

Jim

 

[MarkFeld]

It looks like a die clash to me. Turn the coin over and see what's on the reverse, opposite that area.

[jesbroken]

I did that, Mark, and struck out-if indeed it is upside down letter "U" I cannot make out the next/previous letter (unless it is the "S" in PLURIBUS) to get a match on the reverse. I've added the reverse photo on the OP. I will guess it is the "US" in PLURIBUS. First time I have purchased a die clash just for that purpose.

Jim

[Bugmann1974]

It looks like a die clash to me. Turn the coin over and see what's on the reverse, opposite that area.

 

UM, I don't know.

[Conder101]

It is a die clash, it's from the motto E Pluribus Unum.

[jesbroken]

If it is the 'US' in E PLURIBUS UNUM, then why is the end of the 'S' next to the top of the 'U'? I would think that the curved portion of the 'S' should be next to the 'U', even if inverted and/or mirrored. I'm so confused.

Jim

[WoodenJefferson]

The mind plays tricks, maybe this will help to put things in perspective.

[jesbroken]

Thanks, Woody. That makes it perfectly clear-UNUM not US. Cool.

Jim

[bsshog40]

Thanks, Woody. That makes it perfectly clear-UNUM not US. Cool.

Jim

(thumbs u

[rrantique]

It is a die clash, it's from the motto E Pluribus Unum.

 

Nice photo Jim. (thumbs u

[robec1347]

Here is a Buffalo T-1 also with a clash below the chin. In this case, however, it is part of UNUM.

Link

 

 

[michael]

ur in pluribus

 

 

[James_OldeTowne]

It's a die clash, and a pretty nice one.

[Brando]

Awesome die clash, you can see those letters clear as day!

[DWLange]

Die clashing in this part of the Buffalo Nickel is common. The resulting impression beneath the Indian's portrait is called "chin whiskers." The Indian's chin also leaves a deep impression in the reverse die in the area of E PLURIBUS UNUM, further obscuring these letters, which are challenging to read already.

 

Whenever the press operator spotted such clash marks, he would remove the die and have it lapped to eliminate the impressions. Such lapping left flat spots in the affected parts of the dies, often resulting in the 2-feather phenomenon that collectors have noted.

[ant]

(thumbs u

[Dcoin]

Does the late die state contribute at all to the clashing phenomenon?

[Conder101]

More like the die clashing contributes to late die states

[RWB]

The mints used an automatic planchet feeding system designed by A. Leslie Lambert of the Philadelphia Mint. A hopper, holding enough planchets for about 20-minutes operation was attached to the feeder tube. The tube allowed planchets to be caught by feeder “fingers” and swept into the coining chamber, then swept out the struck coin. The hopper had a small motor that jiggled the mechanism so the coins would feed continuously.

 

Lambert also invented an automatic electric cutoff that stopped the press if there was no planchet in the coining chamber. Die life lists from several years indicate that about half of all dies were retired well before their average lifetime. This, and the large number of extant coins showing clashed dies, suggests that the automatic cutoff didn’t work consistently.

 

Lambert’s ingenuity was rewarded with a $10 a year raise by Director Andrew in February 1910. Andrew also used the invention to cut coining room staff by 2/3 - one person could maintain 3 presses.

 

PS: The Mint used to call clashed dies, “blanked dies” – meaning that no blank was between the dies when they struck each other.