MAD Clashes      

The Study of Unusual Die Clashes

CCL(TI)-1c-1999-01


This is the first of this type of counter clash (type 1) to be analyzed.

The top left picture shows the positioning of the dies when the first clash occurred.

The bottom left picture is the second clash that occurred and once again shows the positioning of the dies in  their relative positioning to each other when that clash occurred.

The bottom right picture shows an overlay incorporating both clashes on top of each other.

When the dies clashed for the second time, an element of the first clash was transferred to the opposing die (where that design element originated from) along with clash element created by the second clash.

 


The top picture shows a clash mark generated by the second clashing of the dies. The actual mark left is of the 4the bay of the memorial building. The notch seen is the back of Lincoln's neck that was from the first clashing of dies. This transference of marks categorizes this anomaly as a type I counter clash

What makes this unique is that in a normal type I counter clash, a design element is the raised clash mark that is encountered. This occurs when the dies clash and leave a raised (incused on the coins surface) design clash mark on the opposing die face. If there is an offset in position between clash, when the second clash occurs, the raised area of the clash mark will indent the opposing dies surface (causing it to be seen as a raised area on the coin), which will be apart from the original design element that made the clash mark in the first place,

In this case, the clash mark starts out as being raised (not incused as in a normal type I)  on the opposing die face and when transferred, appears as  being at an even depth with the field on the face of the die where it originated from.


The first picture shows the clash marks left by Lincoln's shoulder area which occurred during the second clash.

The next picture shows the two sets of clash marks (first clash indicated by a white arrow, the second clash by a black arrow) generated by the back of Lincoln's neck. This is the clash mark (the first clash) that shows behind Lincoln's neck on the obverse clash mark from the second clash.

The last opicture shows clash marks left during both clashings of the dies.