1993 Radical MAD Die Clash MDC-1C-1993-03

Description

Preserved in the collection of Chad Delillo, MDC-1c-1993-03 on the 1993 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent is a radical MAD die clash created when the reverse die came in contact with the obverse die without a planchet between them. The defining feature of this variety is the arc from the rim of the reverse die, clashed into the obverse die surface, that traces a path starting at Lincoln's jacket collar and ending under the letters RT of LIBERTY. This curved impression is a telltale signature of a misaligned die clash — the arc corresponds to the circular edge of the reverse die's field, which pressed into the obverse die face during the clash event. Because the dies were misaligned at the moment of contact, the reverse die rim struck a portion of the obverse die that it would never touch during normal, centered striking. The resulting arc is not a design element transfer but rather a mechanical imprint of the die's physical geometry — the raised, sharp edge where the die face meets the die collar. This type of rim-arc impression is one of the most reliable diagnostics for confirming that a die clash involved misalignment rather than a centered clash, where the dies meet face-to-face in proper alignment. The severity of misalignment in MDC-03 was sufficient to place the reverse rim impression well within the obverse design field, classifying it as a radical rather than moderate clash.

External References