RRDC-1c-1864-01 Bisecting Rim to Rim Die Crack

Description

Found on the 1864 Indian Head Cent in the Bronze No L subtype, this bisecting rim-to-rim die crack traverses the complete die face from one rim edge to the other, documenting severe die fatigue during Civil War-era cent production at the Philadelphia Mint. The 1864 Bronze No L variety represents the standard bronze Indian Head Cent without designer James Barton Longacre's initial on the headband ribbon — distinguishing it from the simultaneously produced L-on-ribbon subtype and the earlier copper-nickel composition that was phased out during 1864. The transition to bronze composition that year reflected wartime economics: nickel was needed for the war effort, and the lighter bronze planchets reduced metal costs while maintaining the coin's utility. Bisecting die cracks represent an extreme form of die failure where the fracture line extends uninterrupted from rim to rim, creating a raised ridge across the entire struck coin. These complete fractures are less common than partial die cracks because most cracked dies are retired before the fracture propagates fully, but wartime production pressures may have kept dies in service longer than peacetime standards would allow. First cataloged on February 1, 2014 by Cuds on Coins — the same date as the companion RRDC on the L-on-ribbon subtype — no independent cross-references exist. Collectors pursuing Indian Head Cent die varieties can attribute this to the bronze no-L issue by confirming both the composition and the absence of the designer's initial.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Charlie Doss
• Cross reference: none. 02/01/2014.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References