1991 Radical MAD Die Clash MDC-1C-1991-02

Description

Likely produced during die installation — when the misalignment risk is greatest — MDC-1C-1991-02 of the 1991 Lincoln Memorial cent exhibits a clash mark under the Y of LIBERTY on the obverse, transferred from the reverse die during an unplancheted die strike. The curvature and straight edge from the top of the U in UNITED from the reverse design are visible within this clash impression, demonstrating how letter forms from one die face become embedded in the working surface of the opposite die. Die installation is the phase most susceptible to Radical MAD clashes because the dies may not yet be fully seated in their proper alignment when test strikes or accidental closures occur, allowing the severe positional offset that characterizes these varieties. The presence of identifiable reverse lettering (the U in UNITED) within the obverse clash zone confirms the radical misalignment — in a typical centered die clash, these elements would appear in predictable positions relative to the obverse design, but here they appear displaced into unexpected locations. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19mm.

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