RIDB-1c-1945-01 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Cataloged as the first retained interior die break for the 1945 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent, RIDB-1c-1945-01 documents a fracture occurring within the interior face of the die rather than at the rim — a fundamentally different failure mode from the rim-originating cracks that produce cuds. In a retained interior die break, a section of the die face develops a crack that outlines a fragment, but that fragment remains loosely in place rather than falling away. The result on struck coins is a raised, slightly displaced area where design elements may appear shifted, cracked along the fracture boundary, or altered in relief compared to the surrounding field. Unlike a full interior die break where the fragment drops out leaving a featureless raised island, a retained break preserves partial design visibility within the affected zone. The 1945 date places this variety in the final year of World War II, when Philadelphia's cent production supported a wartime economy demanding vast quantities of circulating coinage. Bronze composition, 95% copper. Cataloged and verified by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Sean O’Connell
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References