Casagawea Dollar - Clashed Dies Before And After Polishing?

Sure does look like it doesn't it.

I've been thinking about this thread for a while and figured I would respond.

The thought that clash marks are 'harder' to remove from around devices is not necessarily the case, especially with a modern design. You see, the field (background) of the coin design is basically completely flat on the modern coins. When polish lines are removed, it is done by sanding the surface of the die with any number of abrasive methods, usually an emery board or sanding wheel. The clash marks are all at the same level, so they would and could come off at the same rate no matter where the operator removed them. Thing is this...if they have a deep clash and try to remove it completely, they could impede into the depth of the devices that surround the clash marks, either weakening them or removing them altogether (like with the 1937D 3 leg buffalo). So, they do what they can to get the 'obvious' marks out of the way, and they generall leave the marks right around the devices on purpose...so as not to shallow the letters they would have to shallow to completely remove the marks.

So...a short version - it's not harder to remove marks from around letters on a die. The marks are often left on the die intentionally to preserve the strength of the design.

On another related subject - altogether different, but still relates to this thread....

Unless you see specific evidence of a crack, polish line, die chip, die gouge, or SOMETHING that marries these two coins together to the same die, it is very cumbersome to assume that any two coins came from the same die just because they both have clash marks. Clashes happen very frequently in the minting process, thus MANY dies exhibit clash marks to some degree. You VERY LIKELY have two completely unrelated examples of clashed dies there, and on one of them they attempted to remove the most obvious clash marks.

By the way, I should mention that this is the first time I have seen a clash on a Sac dollar, so I thank you for sharing this with us. It doesn't mean they are valuable, just interesting as always to see some of the effects of high speed coin making.

Charles, would they ever pull a die, polish it to some level to remove a clash mark or other damage, and then re-punch it to enhance the design?

Thanks all. Guess I need to get both coins back out and do a close exam on them. See if I can see any evidence of them being from the same die.

Nice find. Thanks for sharing.

wow...very nice overlay!

Kurt: It is just what I do!

"A note to the staff: I noticeed when I log in, it says ,"you have logged in successfully, but does not indicate who it is. On other times, it has said, "wlecome living....". While I can log in each time to post a reply, I am curious about why I am not identified. This was first noticed in the Canadian forum, and has since "spread" to the other forums,as well. I can't believe it is the computer, because it is a berand new one, set yp professionally, and was built for my needs, by the supplier for VA patients requirements as requestyed by VISTA, the Vision clinic. I have not had this problem in other forums. sorry about being such a pest, but I am a "trouble-shooter", by nature, and always want to know "WHY, or WHAT happened, etc. Thanks for your patience with me.
Now to the reply: Coop, would it be much trouble to post the overlay of the SAC-clash, but with the bullit in the SE quad, rather thamn the SW? I am curious about a marker that was the basis of my opinion, (if it matters), the marker, not the opinion! It referrs to whether this is the same die. Thanks to all concerned,
Dick