1868 Typical Die Clash TDC-3C-1868-02

Description

Cataloged as TDC-3c-1868-02 by MadDieClashes, this rather strong die clash on an 1868 Nickel Three Cent Piece reveals transferred design elements from both dies. The obverse shows marks from the reverse wreath in the fields, while the reverse displays Liberty Head portrait marks from the obverse die's clash contact. Longacre's doubling on AMERICA is visible — a characteristic of the die predating the clash event — along with numeral die clash mark chatter, indicating the clash produced repeated or vibrating impressions rather than a single clean transfer. Courtesy of Paul Ihrig, who documented this variety. Typical die clashes occur when obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them, transferring mirror-image design elements onto each die's working surface. On the diminutive three-cent nickel — one of the smallest U.S. denominations — clash marks can occupy a proportionally larger area of the design field. The 1868 Nickel Three Cent Piece was struck at Philadelphia during Reconstruction, and James B. Longacre's Liberty Head design provides the obverse imagery transferred during the clash.

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