2008 Typical Die Clash TDC-25C-2008-01OK

Description

Recorded by MadDieClashes as TDC-25C-2008-01OK, this typical die clash variety occurred on the 2008 (P) Oklahoma State Quarter — one of the final five designs in the State Quarters program that concluded in 2008. Die clashing happens when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them, transferring incuse impressions of one die's design onto the opposing die's surface. These transferred impressions then appear as raised foreign design elements on subsequently struck coins, superimposed in mirror-reverse orientation over the normal design. The Oklahoma State Quarter reverse, designed by Phebe Hemphill, depicts the state bird (the Scissortail Flycatcher) in flight above a field of Indian Blanket wildflowers, while John Flanagan's Washington portrait occupies the obverse. Clash marks on State Quarters frequently manifest as traces of Washington's ponytail ribbon or jawline appearing on the reverse field, or conversely, elements of the state-specific reverse design ghosting onto the obverse near Washington's neck and bust. The "typical" classification (TDC) distinguishes this from atypical clashes that involve rotated or tilted die contact, indicating the dies clashed in their normal aligned orientation. Philadelphia struck Oklahoma quarters as part of the 2008 five-state rotation alongside New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii. Collectors examining this variety should use oblique fiber-optic illumination at 10-15x magnification to reveal the shallow clash impressions, which are most visible in open field areas away from the primary design elements where the transferred marks stand in contrast against the otherwise featureless surface. Die clashes are production errors rather than die varieties, meaning they can occur on any die pair and typically affect multiple coins struck between the clash event and the die's removal or resurfacing.

Attribution History

• Discovered by MadDieClashes
• Expert attribution by MadDieClashes

External References