A die clash occurs when two dies come together when there is no planchet between them. The result is that a mirror image of one die or both dies (or portion thereof) is impressed on the other die. Subsequent strikings of planchets transfer the faint image (a clash mark) onto those planchets. The 1854 and 1855 LFEs may have no clash marks at all or they may have evidence of one one or more die clashes depending upon when particular specimen was struck in the emission sequence, the clash mark may be easily visible or difficult to identify. Clash marks that are present on 1855 Four-Leaf LFEs will be discussed on another page.
The image below superimposes the obverse of the 1854 Coronet Head cent pattern over its 180 degree rotated reverse, thereby replicating the perspective of the die clash from the obverse view.
Three clash marks may be present to greater or lesser degrees (or not at all) on the reverse of some 1854 Coronet Head cent patterns, 1854 Two-Leaf reverse LFEs and 1855 Two-Leaf reverse LFEs. Two are more common and more easily located on the image above. First Northeast of the “O” in ONE, up against the wreath at 10 o’clock is a small pink oval shape. That is clearly the result of these two dies coming together. The second is between the “N” in ONE and the “EN” in CENT, also in pink. It is inside Miss Liberty’s ear and looks like an upside down comma. These clash marks are evident in the image below.
The final clash mark (or clash marks) can be found at approximately 2 o’clock. This is in an area in which some of Miss Liberty’s curls overlap the wreath. The marks which may be seen (to greater or lesser degrees) are the semicircle that intersects the berry Northeast of the “E” in ONE and the incomplete triangles that track in a South by Southeast direction. These marks are evident on the image above. It is not clear what gave rise to this last area of clash marks, but it is not unreasonable to think it is a result of the same two dies striking each other slightly rotated from the 180 degree coin turn position that they would normally demonstrate.
In early stages, generally found on Coronet Head cent patterns, there are generally no clash marks evident. Subsequent stages, evident on some Coronet Heads, but also found on some 1854 LFEs (and the above 1855 LFE) generally demonstrate some portion of the three different clash mark areas discussed above. The latest stages are generally only found on some J-164s (bronze 1854 Two-Leaf reverse LFEs) and some 1855 Two-Leaf reverse LFEs.