2020 Atypical Die Clash ADC-25C-2020-01AS

Description

Found by Brian Sims, this 2020 Philadelphia Mint American Samoa National Park Quarter exhibits an atypical die clash — a specialized form of die clash where design elements transfer between dies in unusual or unexpected patterns. Cataloged as ADC-25c-2020P-01AS by MadDieClashes, the obverse die shows parts of the Samoan fruit bat's fur impressed into various parts of George Washington's face, creating an eerie overlay of the reverse design elements on the portrait. Additionally, a die scrape runs through the fields and lower portions of Washington's face, indicating mechanical contact beyond the normal clash event. Atypical die clashes differ from standard die clashes in that the transferred design elements appear in locations or orientations that do not correspond to the normal die alignment, suggesting the dies were misaligned, tilted, or that a foreign object was involved during the clash event. The American Samoa quarter features a mother Samoan fruit bat and her pup, designed by Richard Masters — and the detailed fur texture of the bat provided fine-grained design elements that transferred clearly during the clash. The 2020 America the Beautiful Quarter series was among the final years of the program, and the American Samoa issue is notable for its unusual wildlife subject matter, making this atypical clash a particularly memorable variety in the MadDieClashes catalog.

External References