1994 Atypical Die Clash ADC-10C-1994-02

Description

Documented by MadDieClashes as ADC-10c-1994-02, this atypical die clash represents the second cataloged clash variety for the 1994 Roosevelt dime and displays an unusually complex array of transferred design elements visible on both sides of the coin. On the obverse, clash impressions show PL from E PLURIBUS UNUM, parts of the olive tree, N from ONE, the torch and flames, and portions of the oak leaves — all reverse design elements that were transferred to the obverse die during an unprotected die-to-die contact event. The reverse, in turn, shows the obverse portrait and the bottom of Roosevelt's ear positioned next to the oak leaves. An atypical die clash differs from a standard (typical) die clash in the angular or positional displacement between the dies at the moment of clashing — while typical clashes produce predictable mirror-image impressions based on the known die alignment, atypical clashes result from dies that were tilted, rotated, or laterally displaced when they contacted each other, producing transferred impressions in unexpected locations. John R. Sinnock's Roosevelt dime design, with its complex reverse featuring a torch flanked by olive and oak branches, provides numerous identifiable design elements that can transfer during clash events. Philadelphia struck approximately 1.19 billion clad dimes in 1994, a high-volume production run where mechanical incidents including misalignment and die clashing occurred with statistical regularity across the thousands of die pairs consumed. The detail in this clash — showing recognizable fragments from virtually every major reverse design element — suggests the dies contacted with substantial force, producing deep enough impressions to survive subsequent strikes on planchets.

External References