RRDC-1c-1992-01R Bisecting Rim to Rim Die Crack

Description

A bisecting rim-to-rim die crack represents one of the most severe forms of die failure short of complete fracture — a continuous crack that runs entirely across the die face from one edge to the opposite edge, effectively splitting the die into two halves that are still held together but no longer function as a monolithic unit. RRDC-1c-1992-01R documents this phenomenon on the reverse of a 1992 Philadelphia Lincoln cent, where the crack traversed the full diameter of the 19mm die. On struck coins, the crack manifests as a fine raised line running rim to rim across the reverse, because the crack's opening allows planchet metal to squeeze upward into the fissure during striking. Bisecting cracks are structurally significant because they signal the die is nearing catastrophic failure — continued use risks a section of the die breaking away entirely, which would produce a cud. Indeed, this very die's progression from crack to cud is documented: the companion listing RRDC-1c-1992-01R Cud records the subsequent stage where a piece of the cracked die separated. Together, these two entries trace a die's terminal failure in real time — first the bisecting crack, then the fragment separation. Cataloged on November 11, 2017. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets, 2.5 grams, 19mm, plain edge.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Eric Sizemore
• Cross reference: none. 11/11/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References