SD-1c-2001-01R Split Die

Description

First documented reverse split die for the 2001 Lincoln Memorial Cent, SD-1c-2001-01R records a catastrophic die fracture at the Philadelphia Mint. Split dies represent one of the most severe categories of die failure, occurring when the working die fractures along an internal plane and physically separates rather than merely developing surface cracks. The resulting coins display a raised ridge or step where the separated halves no longer align, producing a deformation fundamentally different from die cracks or cuds. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety appeared on a business strike produced in copper-plated zinc, the standard cent composition since 1982. The 2001 Lincoln Memorial Cent was among the later issues of Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse, which served from 1959 through 2008 before the bicentennial and Shield designs succeeded it. Split die failures on modern cents can be challenging to locate because Mint quality controls typically retire fractured dies quickly, limiting the number of coins struck before the die is pulled from service. Specimens documenting such failures provide tangible evidence of the forces and fatigue inherent in high-speed coining.

Attribution History

• Discovered by George dePozsgay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References