RIDB-1c-1958-07 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Entered in the Cuds on Coins registry as RIDB-1c-1958-07, this retained interior die break appears on a 1958 Lincoln Wheat Cent — the final year of the wheat reverse design in continuous production since 1909. A retained interior die break differs from a standard cud in that the fractured die section remains partially attached rather than falling away, producing a raised but less dramatically displaced area on struck coins. Multiple secondary die failure features accompany the retained break: obverse die cracks on Lincoln's coat and head, a die chip at the tie, and a reverse die chip on the letter T in CENT. This clustering of cracks, chips, and a retained break on a single die pair suggests the die was in advanced deterioration before retirement. The 1958 Lincoln Wheat Cent holds a special position as the last coin to bear the wheat ears reverse before the Lincoln Memorial design debuted in 1959 for Lincoln's sesquicentennial. Collectors of last-year-of-type issues find this variety compelling, as documented die failure adds variety-collecting depth to a significant transitional date.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bob Byrd
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References