Type II Counter Clash (CC2)

A Type II Counter Clash is a die clash variety produced by a fundamentally different mechanism than the Type I counter clash. Where a Type I counter clash is a die-to-die event (the dies clash each other and clash marks transfer back), a Type II counter clash involves a foreign object acting as an intermediary transfer medium. A piece of hard material enters the striking chamber, receives a design impression from one die, and then transfers that impression back to a die face on a subsequent strike. The result is design elements appearing in unexpected positions on the die -- and on every coin struck afterward.

Few are known, because the conditions are specific: a piece of foreign material must enter the striking chamber, survive the initial strike, stay in place for a later strike, and press a recognizable design back into the die. Error-Ref lists six U.S. examples and three Canadian ones; Mad Die Clashes lists about ten U.S. files.

How Does It Happen?

The Type II counter clash mechanism requires a foreign object to serve as a transfer medium between die strikes:

1. Foreign material enters the striking chamber: A stray piece of hard metal -- a die fragment, collar piece, bolt, washer, or other machine part -- enters the space between the dies. The material must be hard enough to receive and retain a design impression under striking pressure.

2. Initial strike: The die strikes the foreign object, impressing design elements into its surface. The object now carries raised (relief) impressions of whichever die face struck it.

3. Position shift: The foreign object may shift position within the striking chamber between strikes. This is why Type II counter clash marks often appear at unexpected angles or positions relative to the normal design.

4. Secondary strike transfers design back to die: On a later strike, the raised design on the object is driven back into a die face, leaving an incuse, mirror-image copy of the design on the die, mostly in the field (Error-Ref). The object can carry raised design on one or both faces.

5. Coins carry the marks: Every coin struck by that die afterward shows the transferred design elements raised and normally oriented, in an unexpected place on the coin.

The key distinction from Type I: in a Type I counter clash, the transfer medium is the die itself (die → die → die). In a Type II counter clash, the transfer medium is a foreign object (die → foreign object → die). This foreign-object pathway can produce marks at unusual angles -- including 90-degree or 180-degree rotations -- because the debris is not constrained to the fixed orientation of the die pair.

Type I vs. Type II Comparison

How to Identify a Type II Counter Clash

Type II counter clashes have distinctive characteristics that set them apart from both primary clashes and Type I counter clashes:

• Unexpected position or angle: The transferred design elements appear in locations or at orientations that cannot be explained by a normal die-to-die clash. Design elements rotated 90 degrees from their normal position, for example, strongly suggest a Type II mechanism -- a fixed die pair cannot produce a 90-degree rotation through direct contact.
• Recognizable design elements: Despite the unusual position, the marks are identifiable as specific design elements (lettering, portrait features, design motifs) from the same or opposite die. They are not random marks.
• Consistency across coins: Like all die-stage errors, the marks appear in the same position on every coin struck from the affected die. If the marks are unique to a single coin, it is not a counter clash.
• Field location: The marks are mostly in the field. On a die the field is the highest surface (the design is sunk into it), so that is where the debris presses hardest.
• No primary clash required: Unlike Type I counter clashes, a Type II does not require evidence of a prior die-to-die clash. The foreign debris pathway is independent of normal die clash events.

Distinguishing from Other Errors

• vs. Strike-through: A strike-through involves foreign material between the die and planchet at the moment of striking, affecting a single coin. A Type II counter clash involves foreign material that transfers a design impression to the die itself, affecting all subsequent coins.
• vs. Die damage: Random die damage (gouges, scratches) produces non-design marks. Type II counter clash marks are recognizable design elements in displaced positions.
• vs. Type I counter clash: Type I marks are echoes of the same side's design, offset but at the dies' normal orientation. Type II marks can appear at unusual angles and do not require a prior clash event.

Notable Examples

1969-S Lincoln Cent

A second E PLURIBUS UNUM appears on the reverse, set nearly at right angles to the normal motto (Error-Ref). The rotation of the design elements is a strong indicator of the foreign-debris transfer mechanism, as a fixed die pair cannot produce this rotation through direct contact.

1983-1985 Lincoln Cents

Error-Ref lists three: a 1983 cent with an extra, upside-down LIBER above the date; another 1983 cent with an extra N GO running through IN GOD WE TRUST; and a 1985 cent with an E from E PLURIBUS UNUM in the third bay of the Memorial. Mad Die Clashes adds 1957-D and 1978-D cent files.

2000-P Sacagawea Dollar

Faint, displaced copies of ICA from AMERICA and of the initials TDR, sitting where a normal die clash cannot explain (Error-Ref).

1999-P Delaware State Quarter

A strong counterclash of CAESAR RODNEY on the reverse, repeating the name just below its normal position. Mike Diamond diagnosed it, and Coin World reported it in its September 29, 2008 issue (search).

Collecting Tips

• Advanced specialty: Type II counter clashes require a solid understanding of normal die clash mechanics and Type I counter clashes. Learn to identify primary clashes and Type I counter clashes fluently before attempting Type II attributions.
• Look for impossible angles: The strongest diagnostic for a Type II counter clash is design elements appearing at angles that a fixed die pair cannot produce through direct contact. A 90-degree rotation of lettering or design features is a hallmark of the foreign-debris mechanism.
• Magnification: Use 10x or higher magnification to examine the marks. While some Type II counter clash marks are visible at lower power (unlike the extremely faint Type I marks), confirming the identity of the transferred design elements requires careful examination.
• References: Error-Ref.com describes the mechanism and lists known examples, and MadDieClashes.com keeps a file list of Type II counter clashes.
• Peer review: Because few are known and the mechanism is unusual, seek review from established die clash researchers before publishing an attribution.