RIDB-1c-1955S-25 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Unlike a rim cud where a die fragment separates at the edge, a retained interior die break occurs when the die cracks internally but the fractured piece remains in place, creating a raised area on struck coins that follows the fracture path. RIDB-1c-1955S-25 documents the twenty-fifth such variety on the 1955-S Lincoln Wheat Cent, a regular circulation strike from the San Francisco Mint. The 1955-S holds particular historical significance as the final year San Francisco produced cents for general circulation before suspending cent production. The retained fragment creates a distinctive raised region on the coin's surface, different from the featureless blob of a rim cud because the trapped die piece still carries design detail, albeit slightly displaced or elevated. Cross-referenced as Cohen 55S-BA123 and Hardy 55S-4BL+3. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins. The interior nature of this break distinguishes it fundamentally from rim cuds, as the fracture developed within the die face rather than propagating from the rim edge inward.

Attribution History

• Cross references: Cohen 55S-BA123, Hardy 55S-4BL+3 & RIDB-1c-1955S-25 02/17/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References