1989 Typical Die Clash TDC-10C-1989-01

Description

Submitted by Shannon Smith, this typical die clash was identified on a 1989-P Roosevelt dime. The obverse displays clash marks left by the LU of PLURIBUS and the stem of the olive branch from the reverse die, transferred when the dies struck each other without a planchet between them. The reverse shows the corresponding clash mark from Roosevelt's forehead, confirming the reciprocal nature of the clash event. A die crack on Roosevelt's lower nose serves as the primary die marker for identifying coins struck from this specific clashed die pair after the clash event occurred. Typical die clashes on Roosevelt dimes are among the more commonly encountered clash types in modern coinage, as the high-speed production environment at Philadelphia during the late 1980s occasionally resulted in empty-chamber strikes. While less dramatic than atypical clashes where the dies meet at unusual angles, typical clashes provide useful study pieces for understanding how design elements transfer between dies during normal contact events. The olive branch stem impression on the obverse is the most easily located pickup point.

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