1794 Liberty Cap Right Half Cent Die Clash

Description

Among the earliest documented die varieties in American numismatics, this die clash appears on a 1794 Liberty Cap Right Half Cent of the Low Relief Head variety — struck in pure copper at the Philadelphia Mint during only the third year of federal coinage production. A die clash occurs when obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them, transferring incuse impressions of each die's design onto the opposing die face. Subsequent coins struck from clashed dies show these transferred elements as raised traces appearing where they do not belong. On this specimen, clash marks from the reverse design are visible on the obverse, and elements of the obverse Liberty portrait appear on the reverse. The 1794 half cent was produced in modest quantities as the young United States Mint established operations at the first Philadelphia facility. Pure copper half cents of this era were struck on hand-operated screw presses, and the manual nature of striking made die clashes an ever-present risk when the press operator failed to insert a planchet between strikes. Die clashes on 1790s copper coinage are scarce survivors from the formative years of American minting.

Attribution History

• Discovered by NumisDexDealer