1986 Atypical Die Clash ADC-1C-1986-03-2

Description

Documented by MadDieClashes and residing in the collection of Vivien Bullard, this 1986 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent preserves five individual die clash events on the obverse die, each producing distinct clash marks from the right side of the Memorial roof. Color-coded arrows in the reference imagery identify each event, though the analysis notes that multiple marks may have resulted from die chatter — rapid mechanical bouncing analogous to machine doubling — meaning the five lines could stem from as few as two actual clash events. An atypical die clash differs from a normal clash in that the dies contact each other at an abnormal angle or force, producing transfer marks in unexpected locations or with irregular geometry. The ADC catalog number follows MadDieClashes convention: ADC for atypical die clash, 1C for one-cent denomination, 1986 for the date, 03 for the third cataloged pair, and 2 for the event classification. The 1986 Philadelphia Cent had massive production volume, and the survival of a specimen preserving five clash traces offers valuable data on press mechanics and die failure modes. While it has been abraded heavily and there are no die clash marks on the reverse die, it is unique in the fact that it shows 5 individual die clash events on the obverse die.

External References