1891 Typical Die Clash TDC-10C-1891-01

Description

First typical die clash cataloged for the 1891 Seated Liberty dime by the MadDieClashes attribution service, TDC-10C-1891-01 records a clash event on one of the final-year specimens of Christian Gobrecht's iconic Seated Liberty design, which had been in continuous production on the dime denomination since 1837. Die clashing occurs during high-speed coining press operation when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them, impressing design elements from each die onto the face of its counterpart. The Seated Liberty dime obverse features the full-figure representation of Liberty seated on a rock, holding a pole topped with a Phrygian cap, surrounded by thirteen stars and the date — while the reverse presents the denomination within a wreath. When these dies clashed, the incuse elements of each design transferred to the opposing die surface, creating faint ghost impressions that appear on subsequently struck coins. Philadelphia was the sole production facility for dimes in 1891, striking approximately 15.31 million pieces in the final year before Charles Barber's Liberty Head design replaced the Seated Liberty motif in 1892. The MadDieClashes designation TDC-10C-1891-01 follows standard nomenclature: TDC for typical die clash, 10C for the ten-cent denomination, 1891 for the date, and 01 indicating the first cataloged clash die for this issue. Die clashes on Seated Liberty coinage carry particular numismatic interest because the final years of any design type often see accelerated die deterioration as the Mint depletes existing die stock before transitioning to the replacement design. Collectors should examine both sides under 10-15x magnification for transferred design elements visible in the open field areas.

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