They are clips and probably about the smallest I've ever seen. The edge shots are what convinced me. They show the "edge smear" inversion that is characteristic of clips on clad coins. Note in the third picture as you go from left to right first the edge is showing the Copernickel on top and the copper below until you get to the area of the clip where it inverts and the copper is on top with the coppernickel underneath. Then as you move further to the right and leave the clip area the layers invert again. The fourth picture shows the same thing.