1925-S Typical Die Clash TDC-5c-1925S-01

Description

First documented typical die clash on the 1925 San Francisco Mint Buffalo Nickel, TDC-5c-1925S-01 records an event where the obverse and reverse dies struck each other without an intervening planchet, transferring design elements between the die faces. On Buffalo Nickels, die clashes produce a characteristic pattern: the Native American portrait elements from the obverse can appear as ghostly impressions on the reverse around the bison, while reverse bison features may appear on the obverse near the portrait. The notation that "the reverse die appears to have been changed out for a new die" suggests that this clash event was significant enough to damage the reverse die beyond continued use, prompting a die swap at the San Francisco facility. James Earle Fraser's Buffalo Nickel design, struck from 1913 through 1938, featured high-relief elements on both sides that made die clashes particularly visible and prone to causing die damage. The 1925-S had a mintage of 6,256,000, making it a moderately scarce date in the series — especially in higher grades where die clash marks would be most apparent. San Francisco Mint production of Buffalo Nickels during the mid-1920s faced ongoing challenges with die life, as the bold relief of Fraser's design placed extraordinary stress on the dies during each strike. Typical die clashes are distinguished from counter die clashes by the straightforward nature of the transferred design — a simple mirror-image transfer rather than the more complex multiple-transfer patterns seen in counter clashes. This variety is cataloged by the MadDieClashes attribution service, which specializes in documenting clash events across all United States coin series.

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