DC-25c-1926-01 Die Chip

Description

Sole documented die chip for the 1926 Philadelphia Mint Standing Liberty Quarter, this variety records a localized die surface failure on one of the most artistically celebrated coin designs in American numismatics. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no cross-references, the DC-25c-1926-01 designation identifies this as the first and only die chip variety documented for the date. Die chips form when a small fragment of the hardened die steel fractures and separates from the die face, leaving a shallow cavity that fills with metal during striking to produce a raised bump on each coin. Hermon MacNeil's Standing Liberty Quarter, struck from 1916 through 1930, depicts a full-figure Liberty striding through a gateway with a shield and olive branch — a design that underwent modification in 1917 when Liberty's exposed breast was covered with chain mail, and again in 1925 when the date was recessed to prevent wear. The 1926 quarter was struck in the second year of the recessed date modification, and Philadelphia produced approximately 11.3 million coins. Standing Liberty Quarters present particular challenges for die variety collectors because the design's high relief placed unusual stress on dies, and the recessed date modification itself was implemented specifically to address how quickly the date wore off struck coins due to the original design's flat date area.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Geoffrey Noe
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References