1960-D Atypical Die Clash ADC-1c-1960D(SD)-43

Description

Documented as ADC-1c-1960D(SD)-43 in the MadDieClashes catalog, this 1960-D Small Date Lincoln Memorial Cent displays two separate clash events on the same die pair — a dual-clash variety where each impact transferred different design elements at different positions. The first clash event left the Memorial building's roof line transferred through the 1 digit of the date on the obverse, while the second event transferred Lincoln's bust baseline through the word STATES on the reverse. Attribution markers for identifying this specific clashed die include a die chip in the lower part of the R in LIBERTY on the obverse and heavy die scratching under the word AMERICA on the reverse — features that developed independently from the clash events but serve to fingerprint this particular die pair. The dual-event nature of this clash is significant because each clash occurred at a different angular relationship between the dies, producing transferred elements in two distinct locations that do not geometrically align with each other. The Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in 1960 in 95% copper at 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter, and the Small Date designation identifies this as the scarcer of the two 1960-D date varieties. Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse and Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait create a specific clash geometry where the Memorial's roof line sits opposite the date area on the obverse die — explaining why the roof impression transferred into the digit 1 during the first clash event. The heavy die scratching under AMERICA on the reverse suggests die maintenance was performed at some point during this die's service, possibly between or after the clash events, adding another layer to the die's production history.

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