Ken Potter supplies the story surronding this coin.
Our next coin is
a 1974-D Roosevelt dime from Ron Ciampichini of Michigan. It sports a very
rarely encountered error type known as a Multiple Clashed Die/Multiple
Counter-Clash on the obverse and a Multiple Clashed Die on the reverse. In
fact, this is the first coin I have ever seen with a Multiple Counter-Clash.
A clashed die occurs when a planchet fails to enter into the coining chamber
during a press cycle resulting in the obverse and reverse dies smashing or
clashing into each other. Outline areas of designs such as portraits, letters,
etc., from the dies can be impressed into each other, (or just one side to the
other), with the severity depending on the magnitude of the clash, number of
times the dies clash, geometry of designs, etc.
In this case the dies clashed into each other so hard and so many times that
the dies were actually jolted a bit in their holders allowing the clash marks
to vary slightly in location or what errorists refer to as “multiple clash
marks.” Even more interesting was the fact that the clash marks from the Denver
Mintmark were impressed into the reverse encroaching into the lower left leg of
first A of AMERICA so hard with a movement of the die(s) between clashes that
the “Clashed Ds” themselves began to clash back to the obverse. The result is
that we can see a series of “Extra D” mintmarks above and to the west of the
normal D. A count shows that there are at least five “Extra D” images!
Strong outlines of Roosevelt’s head are clearly seen as multiple clash marks
onto the reverse while portions of the reverse design are seen to a lesser
degree clashed into the obverse.
Although interesting, the vast majority of die clashes traditionally hold very
little interest amongst collectors unless they are very unusual or strong. This
one falls into both categories!