1969-S Type II Counter Clash CCL(T2)-1c-1969S-01

Description

Designated CCL(T2)-1c-1969S-01, this Type II counter clash on the 1969-S Lincoln Memorial cent represents one of the more mechanically complex error types in numismatics. Unlike a simple die clash — where obverse and reverse dies strike each other directly — a Type II counter clash involves a three-step transfer process. First, Die A clashes with Die B, receiving an incuse impression of B's design. Subsequently, Die A (now carrying alien design elements from B embedded in its face) clashes with a different die, Die C, transferring those borrowed elements onto C in raised relief. Coins struck from Die C thus display design elements from Die B that arrived via an intermediary, producing what appears to be a "clash of a clash." The resulting transferred images are typically weaker and more diffuse than those from a standard Type I clash because they have undergone two transfer generations, each introducing some loss of definition. This variety was discovered on the 1969 (S) Lincoln Memorial cent from the Lincoln Memorial Cents 1959-2008 series. Identifying a Type II counter clash requires careful comparison of the alien design elements against both the obverse and reverse of the host coin to determine that the transferred imagery does not correspond to either die in the immediate pairing — confirming the involvement of a third, intermediary die. Such varieties are scarce by nature because they require two separate clash events involving overlapping die pairings within the same production run.

External References