Sometimes a die clash can be ...

[Die Varieties]

... pretty wild and wicked looking!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zrlevin]

What's a die clash?

 

I'm just curious because I'm new at this and have never heard that term before/

 

Thanks,

Zach

[Die Varieties]

Hi Zach and Welcome to the forums.

 

A die clash is where the planchet (blank) fails to feed into the collar die for striking. The obverse and reverse dies impact each other (hence the term die clash) and leave their designs imprinted. Here we can see the deep impressions of the reverse Memorial bays and other design elements inverted and incuse on the obverse die. Conversely -- we can also see design elements, letters "ERTY" and partial date imprinted on the reverse die. Most die clashes do not show this deep of impression. The dies must have been set pretty close and I would guess there was a major loud bang when these two dies hit each other. Since the presses are suppose to be inspected about once every 15 to 20 minutes -- it would also be my guess these dies were retired since trying to polish the extremely deep clash would remove much of the design. But again -- that's just my guess. This die clash on a Lincoln cent is sometimes referred to as the "Prisoner Cent" since it exhibits an appearance that Lincoln is behind bars.

 

I recently noted an eBay auction of a 1999-S Proof Roosevelt dime (Web Page Link) with a very heavy die clash. Proofs are suppose to be under higher quality control and this one escaped the Mint. It brought a closing high bid of $177.25. Not bad for a coin that is only worth a few dollars.

 

I hope this helps ...

[IGWT]

Great explanation, Billy. There's also an informative article on die clashes by Howard Spindel in the most recent issue of Numismatist. Link to Article.

[chinook]

Wow!!! That is very dramatic.

[Die Varieties]

Great explanation, Billy. There's also an informative article on die clashes by Howard Spindel in the most recent issue of Numismatist. Link to Article.

 

Excellent article and well written! Great pics too! Thanks for the link and I will bookmark it for future reference.

[Hoot]

Nice post! Great explanations and photos.

 

Hoot

[MikeKing]

I second that, yes, great post, great photos. Thanks!

[metallbarren-migration]

Good read thanks for posting it.

[Die Varieties]

Here's another interesting Lincoln cent die clash with this coin retrieved out of my pocket change. We can clearly see the letters of the word "ONE" which are horizontally flipped (mirror) and inverted. Most clashes do not show the periphery lettering on the Lincoln cents. I put the coin up on eBay auction and brought almost $50. Not bad for a coin out of change. Die clashes on any denomination can be a lot of fun and make for great study.

 

[Jazzy]

Those are some of the boldest die clashes I've ever seen! (And your photography is something to be envied.)

 

Die clashes are my favorite errors.

 

I only have one die-clashed coin - not a big deal, but here it is:

 

(You can see the "negative" of the reverse coming out of the forehead.)

 

[Die Varieties]

Nice looking IHC you got there Jazzy! I like it

 

Yes sir -- I can easily see the partial remnants of the clash protruding out of the forehead into the field. There are a lot of super nice die clashes on the IHC series! I have always luved the IHC -- such a beautiful design.

 

Keep em coming everybody ...

[Merc]

Very nice pictures. I have not seen such die clashes on Lincolns. Those are extreemly deep!

[macrocoin]

I learn something new here everytime I click a thread!

Thanks for the informative post - great illustrations and explanation.

[Buffalo_Pete]

Billy..................

 

I have a couple of those "Prisoner" Cents that I culled from circulation.

 

Assuming that the dies clash only once, what accounts for the "double-looking" bars across Lincoln?

 

One of my Cents exhibits the same thing.

 

It actually looks like two sets of bars....making it seem like the coin was struck once, than again with the second set of bars slightly out of line from the first.

 

Pete

[Die Varieties]

Billy..................

 

I have a couple of those "Prisoner" Cents that I culled from circulation.

 

Assuming that the dies clash only once, what accounts for the "double-looking" bars across Lincoln?

 

One of my Cents exhibits the same thing.

 

It actually looks like two sets of bars....making it seem like the coin was struck once, than again with the second set of bars slightly out of line from the first.

 

Pete

 

Hi Pete: Excellent question.

 

You have a multiple clashed die. You are correct in that the photos I posted of the 1992 die clash is in fact a multiple die clash. There are at least two separate die clashes with each impacted a little apart from one another. This happens because a planchet (blank) failed to feed more than one time. The press is striking coins at an extremely high rate and it only takes a split second for the next strike. If a planchet fails to feed again -- then additional die clashes can happen.

 

Below is another photo of a different 1999 cent exhibiting a classic example of a multiple die clash. In the photo we can easily see two die clashes that are widely separated apart from one another. These can become quite dramatic looking and highly collectable.