Clashed Dies

For a reason I can not explain, I have always enjoyed coins with a technical oddity. Since many people consider such things defective, these can be cheaper than 'regular' coins. Probably the most common variety in this category is the clashed die. These result when a reverse die is hammered into an obverse die without a coin blank in place. Making coins at a fast pace probably caused an occasional flan to slip out of place after the hammerman had begun his swing. Some of these are more sever than others. My latest is a denarius of Septimius Severus from the Rome mint with Marti Pacifero reverse. The clash caused the right side of the reverse die to be impressed with the right side of the obverse in mirror image. the inverted portrait front is clear as is the reversed legend AVGIMP which appears darker than the surrounding silver. There was a bounce of the strike causing a second area of weaker damage just outside the more clear one. Unfortunately this second hit falls on top of the raised reverse legend but you can still see ERO at the lower right of the reverse.

This is neither my first or best die clash but it is the latest. Anyone interested may look at my page:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/do...h/brock.html
which includes another Septimius with color coded legends that might make the matter more clear.