By Ken Potter for Numismaster

In my Feb. 19 Numismatic News front page story I revealed that an “Extra Beard” variety had been found by reader James P. McCarthy of Wisconsin. I also noted that I and a number of other variety coins specialists had designated it as a doubled die from a tilted hub.

Now I must report that all the researchers (including yours truly) who attributed it as a doubled die just weeks ago, have unanimously reversed our opinions and have reattributed it as a clashed die from a Misaligned Die (or what is often referred to as a MAD Clash). Those of us who originally suggested that the coin was a doubled die based our opinions on the fact that overlays seemed to neatly fit the area of the so-called extra beard in another area of the beard just perfectly.

However, soon after the variety was first publicized, folks started finding more examples with the so-called extra beards from other dies with obvious clash marks. A closer look at examples struck from the same dies as the original find also showed traces of clash but they were minor and overlooked as trivial by most the first time around. With more “extra beards” being found from other dies with obvious clash marks, a clash had to be reconsidered as a possible cause.

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