2013 Atypical Die Clash ADC-1C-2013-01

Description

Documented by the MadDieClashes catalog as ADC-1c-2013-01 with photographs and coin courtesy of Rock Hasenberg, this 2013 Lincoln Shield Cent displays an unabraded die clash — meaning the clash marks have not been polished away through die maintenance, leaving the transferred design elements in their full original strength on the die face. The obverse shows a number of details transferred from the reverse die, while the reverse shows very little reciprocal transfer, a pattern that the MadDieClashes experts note appears to be typical of Shield Cent clashed dies where the reverse design's flat shield geometry transfers more effectively onto the obverse portrait than the portrait transfers onto the shield. The catalog rates this as probably the second strongest shield clash documented, only slightly less intense than ADC-1c-2012-01, establishing a comparative strength ranking within the Shield Cent clash population. Die clashes occur when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them, and "unabraded" clashes — where the Mint did not polish the die afterward to remove the transferred impressions — preserve the full detail of the transferred design elements, making them more dramatic than abraded examples. Light die cracks on the reverse serve as supplementary die markers. The Lincoln Shield Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 2013 in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.50 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Lyndall Bass designed the Shield reverse featuring a Union shield with thirteen vertical stripes, while Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait has been in continuous production since 1909. The unabraded condition of this clash makes it a premium example for collectors seeking die clash varieties with maximum visual impact and complete transferred design detail.

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