1978-D Typical Die Clash TDC-100C-1978D-01

Description

Documented by MadDieClashes, this typical die clash on a 1978-D Eisenhower dollar shows its effects exclusively on the reverse die — the obverse die remained unmarked or was polished clean after the clash event. A raised line generated by the top of Eisenhower's head cuts through the lunar crater area on the Apollo 11 insignia reverse, and the top of the E from LIBERTY appears clashed into the area between the D and O of DOLLAR. The accompanying overlay image demonstrates the precise rotational alignment of the two dies at the moment they struck each other without an intervening planchet — a diagnostic tool that maps every potential transfer point between the obverse and reverse designs. Die clashes occur when the hammer die (typically the obverse) and anvil die (reverse) come together during a mis-feed where no planchet enters the striking chamber, allowing each die's raised design elements to impact the opposing die surface and leave incuse impressions that subsequently appear as raised marks on coins struck from the affected die. The 1978-D Eisenhower dollar was the final year of the series, struck at the Denver Mint in copper-nickel clad at 22.68 grams, and the large dollar format — 38.1mm in diameter — makes clash marks more visually accessible than on smaller denominations. No additional die markers were recorded beyond the clash evidence itself, making the head-line through the craters and the clashed E between D and O the primary attribution points.

External References