1925 S with obverse die clash and oddities

[JeanK]

This poor coin is about seen better days, so I am going to retire it into my oddity collection of old wheats and enjoy it for a long time. I hope you can see the clashes behind and near the crown of Lincolns head, behind the neck and under the chin. The reverse has a kind of 'trails' type of anomaly on EPU, with the S and U's seeming to be more affected.
This coin might not be listable, but it sure is fun and gave me a chance to do some more smiling today.
Thanx bunches for checking,
Jean

[jcuve]

That's an interesting find Jean. I see the clash marks clearly. I am not sure what is up with the reverse. It might be die wear; BJ might want to see it.

[BadThad]

The 25S is one of the worst issues in the series, over-used dies were the norm. That's what you have here.

[uglycent]

I love these type of oddities, stirs the imagination. And sets them apart from their siblings

[trails]

Hi Jean - It is an interesting die clash. I am sending you a PM on it. The reverse has this:

This is a lesser known form of die deterioration which transfers design outlines from one die to the other. Since there are many types of design transfer (clashed dies, brockages, etc.), it is preferable to call this type of design transfer "Progressive Indirect Design Transfer" or "PIDT". Other synonyms you're likely to encounter are "heavy design transfer" and "internal metal displacement phenomenon (IMDP)".

This is how it works.


To understand how this phenomena occurs is not that hard. When the hammer die (obverse die) strikes the planchet, the force of the strike is transferred into and through the planchet and onto the opposing die (reverse or anvil die). Since the dies are slightly convex, the strongest force felt on the planchet is in the center of that planchet. However, in the case of the Lincoln cent, the center of the die is incused, so the area to feel the first and strongest force is the field area immediately adjacent to Lincoln's bust. Each striking of a coin transfers a small portion of the force onto the opposing die. The area that transfers the most force onto the reverse die is the outline of Lincoln's bust. This transferred force produces uneven metal flow in the reverse die, gradually creating a a "ghost" image of Lincoln.

Since coins that are in a Late Die State (LDS) develop this trait, it is considered a form of die deterioration.

BJ Neff

[willbrooks]

Great stuff, BJ. Thank you very much.

[coop]

They were pretty bad with reverse die wear that year:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/coop49/1925-D_HEAVY_DIE_WEAR_CENT.jpg

Looks like an obverse die clash:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/coop49/Wheat_Overlay_obverse_1911.jpg