1955 Wheat Penny Die Clash, MD?

[SaintGeo54]

I have this 1955 penny with something on the obverse. Most noticeable across Lincolns forehead, but also on his coat. Is this a die clash or what? I have tried to match it up with areas from both sides but I can't find a match, if there is one.There is doubling on the "5". I read that there's a name for doubling on the edge like that but I can't recall what it is. Any information would be greatly appreciated. It was hard to capture the lines because of the angles, but I hope you can see what I am seeing.

[occnumis2021]

i'd say die erosion doubling on the 5, it can happen essentially anywhere on the coin once the die(s) start wearing out. that is a LOT of pressure over and over again.

the things on the head are die cracks, also from a LOT of pressure and a lot of strikes, although no one can really say when or where a die will start to give. those cracks are fairly common. you won't see them all the time but it is because they made a crap ton of cents; then and now.

the should is what looks like a combination of either pmd (the big gouge) and/or the smaller thinner ones, cracks or possibly pmd. tough to say but nothing special far as a i know either way.

[MintErrors]

A Die clash happens when the U S Mint workers are doing maintenance on a minting press, and we're replacing dies. They have to set safety tolerances to keep dies from clashing all the time and causing a high rate of die failures over a short period of time. When they perform a few test strikes, some of those clashes may be minor and are usually removed or gone quickly.

What you have is almost what OCC said. There are die cracks all over Lincoln, a relatively average looking die when it is approaching close to 1 million coins struck. These dies new were shiny and sharp. Over time they loosen up, since they no longer have the sharp fresh edges on the devices ( lettervnumbers, building ect.) Die deterioration affects the digits on the date. The die edge can be seen close to the rim, which is another sign that the die is at a very late stage in its life cycle.

In my opinion, this isnt PMD....It was done within the mint.

PMD typically stands for post mint damage. It is something that is typically seen once a coin has departed the mint. Once a coin is in circulation, there is a chance that coins can be altered to appear they came from the U S Mint that way. A seasoned collector who knows the process of the mint usually can identify the differences whether it was garage induced, used as a tool, pressed in a vise, skidded across tar, or across the floor, hammered, or literally hundreds to thousands of issues that could be done outside the mint.

In the end, this coin you have is a very late stage example of a Lincoln cent. You will see a lot in the 1950s through the 1960s and some in the 1970s. You shouldn't get rich off of this, it is typically very common and if some one really wanted this, you might be able to get enough for a candy bar or bottled water.

[SaintGeo54]

Thank you so much for the information. I have learned a lot from this forum, but I know I have a lot more to learn!

[lyme3m]

A Die clash happens when the U S Mint workers are doing maintenance on a minting press, and we're replacing dies. They have to set safety tolerances to keep dies from clashing all the time and causing a high rate of die failures over a short period of time. When they perform a few test strikes, some of those clashes may be minor and are usually removed or gone quickly.

A die clash can happen in production. There is elasticity in the system and the work stops have potential to move over time. The feeder fingers never engage a planchet 100% of the time.

What you have is almost what OCC said. There are die cracks all over Lincoln, a relatively average looking die when it is approaching close to 1 million coins struck. These dies new were shiny and sharp. Over time they loosen up, since they no longer have the sharp fresh edges on the devices ( lettervnumbers, building ect.) Die deterioration affects the digits on the date. The die edge can be seen close to the rim, which is another sign that the die is at a very late stage in its life cycle.

Die deterioration affects the whole die.

In the end, this coin you have is a very late stage example of a Lincoln cent. You will see a lot in the 1950s through the 1960s and some in the 1970s. You shouldn't get rich off of this, it is typically very common and if some one really wanted this, you might be able to get enough for a candy bar or bottled water.

Only in the 50's, 60's and 70's do we have late stage die examples?

A little side note, why not put dollar amounts over

you might be able to get enough for a candy bar or bottled water.

I mean candy and bottled water heavily implies cheap. Wouldn't it be better for overall engagement to say not millions but still10X your money?

[SaintGeo54]

Thank you for more information!