Die Clash (DCL)

A die clash is a minting error that occurs when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them. The impact leaves raised marks on each die face from the opposing die's design. Every coin subsequently struck by those dies carries faint, ghost-like impressions of the opposite side's design, sunk into its own surface.

Die clashes are among the most common die errors produced at the U.S. Mint, and they occur from the earliest years of the Mint to modern production. The term "die clash" is an umbrella designation that covers ordinary clashes as well as rotated, misaligned and other unusual forms.

How Does It Happen?

Modern U.S. Mint coining presses strike about 750 coins per minute. Planchets are fed between the dies by an automated feed system. Between each strike, the dies separate briefly to allow the struck coin to eject and a new planchet to enter.

A die clash occurs when no planchet is fed between strikes and the dies meet. A missed feed alone usually does not cause one: the dies are set with a safety margin, the minimum die clearance, so that they do not touch with no planchet present. A clash needs that margin to fall to zero, which happens when the dies go out of adjustment (Error-Ref). On a working die the design is recessed and the fields stand farthest forward, so the fields and shallow recesses of each die pick up marks from the other, while deep recesses are protected and the convex periphery usually escapes.

The mechanics work as follows:

1. A planchet fails to feed: The feed finger misses, or a jam prevents the next blank from entering the collar
2. The dies meet: The press cycle continues automatically, and, with the die clearance out of adjustment, the dies come together
3. Design transfer occurs: Each die face takes marks from the opposing die's design
4. Subsequent coins show clash marks: Every coin struck by those dies afterward carries faint impressions of the transferred design

The Mint inspects dies and removes clash marks by polishing the die face with abrasive compounds. This process removes the shallow clash impressions from the die surface. However, if the clash was deep enough, or if the die was not caught in inspection, clashed dies can produce hundreds or thousands of coins before being retired.

How to Identify a Die Clash

Die clash marks have consistent, recognizable characteristics:

• Ghost images: Faint outlines of the opposite side's design appear in the fields (flat areas) of the coin. On a Lincoln cent, you might see the faint outline of the Lincoln Memorial columns on the obverse, or traces of Lincoln's profile on the reverse.
• Location in fields: Clash marks appear mostly in the open field areas of the coin and in low-relief parts of the design. High-relief elements, which come from deep recesses in the die, are generally protected, and the area near the rim usually shows none.
• Consistent across multiple coins: Because the clash marks are on the die itself, every coin struck from that die will show the same clash marks in the same positions. This distinguishes die clashes from incuse damage on individual coins.
• Sunken, not raised: Error-Ref describes clash marks on the coin as extra design elements that are incuse and mirror-image, because they are raised on the die face.
• Mirror-reversed orientation: The clash marks appear as a mirror image of the source design.
• Weakness after polishing: If the Mint polished the die after the clash, coins struck after polishing will show progressively weaker clash marks until they disappear entirely.

Clash Marks vs. Other Phenomena

Notable Examples

Lincoln Cent Clashes

With their enormous production volumes, Lincoln cents are where die clashes turn up most often. Common clash marks on Lincoln cents include the columns of the Lincoln Memorial visible around Lincoln's head on the obverse, sometimes called a "prisoner cent" (Error-Ref shows a 1987 example), and the outline of Lincoln's bust visible in the reverse fields. Wheat-ear reverses (1909-1958) and Memorial reverses (1959-2008) both produced abundant clash varieties.

Morgan Dollar Clashes

Morgan dollars (1878-1921) are a well-studied series for die clashes. The large open fields show clash marks clearly, and parts of the eagle from the reverse can appear in the obverse fields around Liberty's portrait. Many clashed dies are cataloged by VAM number.

Kennedy Half Dollar Clashes

Kennedy half dollars regularly exhibit clash marks, with the heraldic eagle's features from the reverse appearing around Kennedy's portrait. The large format of the half dollar makes clash marks easy to see.

State and National Park Quarter Clashes

The extended quarter programs (1999-2021) generated numerous die clash varieties. With 56 different State Quarter reverses and 56 America the Beautiful reverses, clash collectors had new material to pursue every few months.

Collecting Tips

• Availability: Die clashes are common across most denominations. They make a good entry point for error collectors, particularly on Lincoln cents and Jefferson nickels.
• Strength of clash: Clashes range from faint traces to strong, clear design transfer; collectors pay most attention to the bold ones.
• Die polishing: Coins struck soon after the clash event, before the die was polished, show the strongest clash marks. Polishing leaves fine lines in random directions where the marks were (Error-Ref shows a 1983-P nickel abraded this way), and later strikes show progressively weaker marks.
• Series specialization: Many collectors focus on die clashes within a single series (Morgan dollars, Lincoln cents, etc.) and build sets showing different clash die pairs.
• Photography matters: Die clashes photograph best under strong directional lighting at a low angle. Proper imaging is important for documenting clash varieties.
• Major grading services: PCGS and NGC attribute some named clash varieties on their holder labels, mostly among the Morgan dollar VAMs.