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

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this is the first documented retained interior die break for the 1953 Lincoln Wheat Cent from the Philadelphia Mint, making it the baseline entry in the registry for this date. Retained interior die breaks form when a section of the die face fractures internally, away from the rim, and the broken piece remains held in position by surrounding die steel. On struck coins, this produces a raised area bordered by a recessed channel where metal flows into the gap between the fragment and the intact die face. That surrounding channel is the hallmark diagnostic feature separating retained interior die breaks from other forms of deterioration such as simple chips or flow lines. Philadelphia Mint cents from 1953 saw heavy production, subjecting dies to repeated striking forces that could induce subsurface fractures. As one of the later Wheat Cent dates, the 1953 issue is accessible to collectors seeking examples of interior die failure on this series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jerry Long
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References