DC-1c-1954S-02 Die Chip

Description

Second cataloged die chip for the 1954 San Francisco Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, DC-1c-1954S-02 documents a small raised bump caused by a fragment of the die surface spalling off during production. Die chips represent one of the most basic forms of die deterioration: as the hardened steel die face endures hundreds of thousands of high-pressure strikes, microscopic stress fractures develop at points where the engraved design creates thin sections or sharp corners, and eventually a tiny piece of the surface pops off, leaving a shallow cavity that fills with metal on each subsequent strike. The 1954-S Lincoln Cent holds particular significance in the series because it was the final San Francisco Mint business-strike cent until 1968 — after 1955, San Francisco would produce only proof coins for over a decade. With a mintage of approximately 96 million pieces, the 1954-S is modestly scarce compared to the billion-piece Philadelphia runs but readily available in circulated grades. Cuds on Coins catalogs this variety with a cross-reference notation dated September 1, 2013, and no additional references to other attribution systems. The Wheat Cent reverse design, with its detailed wheat stalks, lettering, and motto, provides numerous thin sections in the die where chips can develop, and die chip varieties from the twilight years of the Wheat Cent design (1954-1958) represent the final opportunity to document this form of die deterioration on Victor David Brenner's iconic reverse.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: none. 09/01/2013
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References