Variety Summary

This variety was first discovered in 1977. It is second in rarity for the 1857 Flying Eagle cent multi-denominational clashed dies. Several uncirculated specimens are known to exist. An 1857 Liberty Seated quarter exists that has the clashed remnants of the reverse of a Flying Eagle cent on the reverse. This is the only pair of multi-denominational clashed dies where both denominations were found with the clashing. The most likely scenario in the creation of these varieties is that the Liberty Seated quarter working dies were in the coining press. The high demand of the new cent caused a priority shift in production. The new cent working dies replaced the Liberty Seated quarter working dies. The cent reverse clashed the quarter reverse working dies when changing them. The quarter working dies were subsequently used again.

If this is true, then there should exist a die state for the reverse of the quarter that does not have the clashing. For each of the six known multi-denominational clashed dies, the area of the field that was opposite of the design elements is at a lower level than the surrounding field. This means that the area where the fields on the two working dies clashed was compressed to a lower level under high pressure in the coining press. If an area is incused on the working die, it will be raised on the coin. This gives the illusion that the area of the field that was opposite the design elements was lowered on the coin.

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