DC-1c-1956-04 Die Chip

Description

Cross-referenced to Cohen Index 56-T26, this die chip variety on the 1956 Lincoln Wheat Cent carries a recognized place in the Cohen die variety catalog for the Lincoln series. The Cohen Index provides systematic documentation of minor die varieties — chips, cracks, and breaks — that might otherwise go unrecorded, and the designation 56-T26 positions this as a cataloged die chip entry for the 1956 date. Die chips form when a small fragment of steel detaches from the die face, leaving a tiny void that fills with metal during striking and appears as a raised dot or blob on the finished coin. Unlike die cracks, which trace linear paths across the design, chips tend to be isolated and roughly circular, often appearing near letters, numerals, or design elements where stress concentrations develop during repeated striking. The 1956 Wheat Cent was produced exclusively at Philadelphia, as Denver struck only the following year's final Wheat issue. Victor David Brenner's wheat-ears reverse was in its penultimate year of production, with the Memorial reverse replacing it in 1959. Collectors of late-date Wheat Cents often find die chips among the more accessible varieties to locate.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jessica Turner
• Cross references: Cohen Index 56-T26. 03/28/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References