RIDB-1c-1953D-01 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

The first of three documented retained interior die breaks on the 1953-D Lincoln Wheat Cent, RIDB-1c-1953D-01 records a phenomenon distinct from rim cuds. A retained interior die break occurs when a piece of the die face fractures loose but remains lodged in its recess — the retained fragment strikes coins with a raised irregular area located away from the rim, within the interior design field. This positioning differentiates RIDBs from cuds, which by definition occur at the rim edge. Interior die breaks are considerably scarcer because the die face is structurally more stable in central zones, making interior fractures less mechanically likely. Denver struck 700.515 million Lincoln Wheat Cents in 1953, a robust mintage placing significant demands on working dies. That three separate RIDBs have been documented for this single date-mint suggests either die steel with structural vulnerabilities or production conditions at Denver that were particularly harsh on die faces. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this first entry establishes the baseline for the 1953-D RIDB trio.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: none. 09/21/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References