1998 Atypical Die Clash ADC-1C-1998-01-MAD-OBV

Description

Two distinct error types converge on this 1998 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial Cent: a misaligned die (MAD) of approximately 5% cutting off the tops of N GOD W on the obverse, and multiple staggered clashes — at least five sets of clash marks layered across the design. Five successive clash events on a single die is extraordinary, as each clash occurs when the dies strike each other without a planchet between them, and normally such events would prompt die replacement long before a fifth collision. The staggered nature means each clash occurred at a slightly different alignment, producing overlapping transferred design elements. Most remarkably, the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial — a reverse element rarely seen as a clash artifact — appear under Lincoln's nose, transferred from the reverse die during one of the clash events. This unusual transfer documents the collision angle, as Memorial stair detail can only reach the nose area when the dies meet at a specific relative position. Cataloged as ADC-1c-1998-01 (MAD, Obv.), this variety offers a forensic record of repeated die collisions preserved on a single cent.

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