VOCABULARY TERM: JACK DIE

Jack Die. A die with no design; a blank die; it is used to strike uniface medals. The jack die is usually placed in the upper (punch) position in a press, while the obverse die is in the lower (pile) position. If a jack die has been machined to fit within a collar in a coining press it can only be used to strike pieces in that diameter. If the jack die is an OPEN FACE die, conceivably, it could be used to strike any diameter piece smaller than its diameter. Some jack dies have a rim or border, however if the die contains any lettering or symbols it is not a jack die.

In cataloging coins and medals a side struck with a jack die containing no detail is described as plain or blank. Often a manufacturer will use a die with no detail other than the firm’s logo. This should not be considered a blank reverse struck by a jack die but should, indeed, be cataloged in full, identifying all lettering and symbols (if any) of the maker.

However, in the rare instance of a reverse with a single letter or symbol – with no other relation to the obverse or the maker – it can be considered the designation for the jack die. An example is the reverse of the Lafayette medal by James Bale (Fuld LA.1824.1); contains a tiny letter P in the signature position (lower right).

A die with a nondescript design used like a jack die is called a DIAPER die.

Reference: CLASS 04.4
NC8 {1957} Fuld, illustrated p 1040.

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