1834 Classic Head Half Cent Die Clash

Description

Produced during the Jacksonian era of American coinage, this 1834 Classic Head Half Cent exhibits a die clash where the obverse and reverse dies struck each other without a planchet between them, transferring design elements onto the opposing die faces. On the obverse, portions of the wreath and lettering from the reverse can be seen in front of Liberty's face. On the reverse, Liberty's portrait appears clashed around the wreath. The 1834 Classic Head Half Cent had a mintage of 141,000 pieces. Designed by John Reich and revised by William Kneass from 1831, the Classic Head series was produced from 1809 to 1836 in pure copper. Die clashes occurred when press operators failed to insert a blank between strikes, causing the raised design elements of each die to impress into the opposing die's working face. The resulting transferred images, once imparted to the die, appeared on every subsequent coin struck until the die was retired or repolished. On early copper coinage with relatively low mintages, die clash specimens offer tangible evidence of the handcraft nature of early Mint operations.