PART VI. Striking Errors:

Capped Die Strikes:

Struck Through a Late Stage Die Cap

Definition: A coin struck through a late-stage die cap will show a strong “ghost image” of the raised design (see Die Cap).  Most such errors involve die caps affixed to the hammer die, so we’ll focus on those.

A hammer die cap begins when a coin sticks to the hammer die.  That coin proceeds to strike a succession of planchets.  As it does so the coin expands and its margins grow upward to surround the die neck.  This phenomenonis called “cupping”.   Eventually the die cap assumes a thimble shape.  Any design originally present on the working face of the die cap grows progressively fainter and more distorted.  Eventually no design is left and all you have is a thin cap bottom that has molded itself to the recesses of the die face.

The blurred design seen on a coin struck through a late-stage die cap has bled through the thin floor of that die cap.  We refer to such coins as a “late-stage capped die strike” or a “generic capped die strike”.  The shorter term “capped die strike” is sometimes used.  However, this term is actually non-specific and can encompass any type of capped die strike, including those that feature brockages, counterbrockages, or a mixture of the two.

There’s no telling whether a late-stage die cap was originally striking brockages, counterbrockages, or started out with no design at all (a uniface die cap).  Therefore, calling a featureless capped die strike a “brockage” or a “late-stage brockage” is not accurate.

The images below show three coins struck through late-stage die caps. No  identifiable design elements have been transferred from the working face of the die cap.  Any design originally present on the working face of the cap would have long ago been erased by the numerous impacts against a succession of planchets.  The obverse design has bled through the thin floor of the cap to produce what has generally been referred to as a raised “ghost image”.  The raised design is muted, distorted, and somewhat incomplete.

The last coin to the right shows the results of being struck through the thinnest of die caps. Only wisps of deformation can be seen above the date and LIBERTY.