DC-1c-1987-01 Die Chip

Description

Cataloged as DC-1c-1987-01 by Cuds on Coins, this die chip variety on the 1987 Lincoln Memorial cent documents a small-scale die surface failure distinctly different from the catastrophic rim breaks that produce cuds. Die chips form when a tiny piece of the die face flakes away, detaches, or crumbles, leaving a shallow void in the die surface that transfers as a small raised bump or blob on struck coins. Unlike cuds, which occur at the rim and involve the complete separation of a die fragment, die chips can appear anywhere on the die face — within letters, on design elements, in the fields, or near the rim — and they typically represent localized material failure rather than structural fracture. The resulting raised feature on the coin is generally small, ranging from barely visible under magnification to a noticeable bump that partially fills or distorts a letter or design element. Die chips are among the most common die varieties encountered on modern coinage, particularly on high-production dates where dies endure millions of striking cycles, and they form part of a continuum of die surface deterioration that begins with subtle pitting and can progress through chipping to full die cracks and eventual cuds. While individually less dramatic than cuds, die chips provide useful diagnostic evidence for die identification and are systematically tracked by variety researchers. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm, from the 1987 mintage of 4,682,466,931 cents.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Smith
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References