1865 Indian Head Cent (Plain 5) Die Clash (Reverse)

Description

This 1865 Indian Head Cent of the Plain 5 variety exhibits a die clash on the reverse, where the obverse design transferred onto the reverse die during a strike without a planchet between the dies. The clash impression shows the Indian princess's neck and chin visible under the left side of the shield, a characteristic pattern for Indian Head Cent clashes given the spatial relationship between the two dies. The 1865 date marks the second year of the Plain 5 subvariety, distinguished from the Fancy 5 by its shorter, more simply rendered final digit. Die clashes recurred throughout the Indian Head Cent series (1859-1909), as the small planchet size occasionally allowed misfeeds or empty-chamber strikes. Struck in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc), the alloy adopted in 1864 when the series transitioned from copper-nickel to the thinner bronze format. The 1865 mintage of over 35 million pieces at Philadelphia ensured wide circulation, though examples preserving clear clash marks are less common due to the Mint's practice of resurfacing clashed dies once damage was detected. In this case, the Indian's neck and chin from the obverse die are clashed under the left side of the shield on the reverse.