1868 Typical Die Clash TDC-1C-1868-01

Description

Cataloged by MadDieClashes as TDC-1c-1868-01, this 1868 Nickel Three-Cent Piece exhibits both obverse and reverse die clash marks — the result of the two dies striking each other without a planchet between them, transferring design elements from each die into the opposing die face. The three cent nickel was designed by James Barton Longacre and struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel at 1.94 grams and 17.9 mm diameter. The MadDieClashes overlay shows the relative die position at the moment of the clash event. On the obverse, the upper leaves of the reverse wreath are clashed into the date area and the U of UNITED, with additional clash marks from the reverse leaves visible through the word AMERICA. On the reverse, the top of Liberty's cap (the Pileus or Phrygian cap) appears above the last Roman numeral of the denomination. Die clashes on 1860s small-denomination coinage are noteworthy because the manual operation of coin presses in this era made such incidents more frequent than on later mechanized equipment.

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