DC-1c-1957-03 Die Chip

Description

Third documented die chip for the 1957 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety records another instance of localized die surface failure on the final full year of Wheat Cent production. Die chips form when a small fragment of the hardened steel die face fractures and separates, leaving a shallow recess that fills with metal during striking to produce a raised bump on the finished coin. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no known cross-references (dated 12/20/2017), the DC-1c-1957-03 designation identifies this as the third die chip variety documented for the 1957 date. The 1957 Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at Philadelphia with a mintage of approximately 282.5 million coins — the second-to-last year of Victor David Brenner's iconic Wheat Ears reverse design, which would conclude in 1958 after nearly half a century of continuous production. Three documented die chips from this date reflects the systematic cataloging effort by Cuds on Coins researchers, who examine specimens for all types of die deterioration including chips, cracks, cuds, and breaks. Die chips differ from die cracks in that they produce discrete raised areas rather than linear features, and they differ from cuds in that they occur away from the rim in the interior of the die. Each die chip documents a specific moment when the die surface failed at a particular location.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Szabo
• Cross reference: none. 12/20/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References