UDC-1c-2002-01R Unusual Die Crack

Description

Distinguished from ordinary die cracks by its atypical configuration, this unusual die crack on the reverse of a 2002 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent earned the specialized "UDC" classification rather than the standard die crack designation. Standard die cracks typically follow predictable patterns — radiating from stress concentration points in the design, propagating along the rim, or connecting design elements in expected ways. An unusual die crack, by contrast, displays a crack pattern that deviates significantly from these typical modes, whether through its location, direction, length, configuration, or visual appearance. The "01R" designation indicates this is the first documented unusual die crack on the reverse for the 2002-P date, establishing it as a unique cataloging entry. The reverse die of the 2002-P Memorial Cent bore Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial design, which had been in continuous use since 1959 and by 2002 was nearing the end of its forty-three-year production tenure. Die cracks on Memorial Cent reverses can traverse the building structure, cross between letters of E PLURIBUS UNUM or UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, or run through the denomination — the "unusual" classification suggests this crack did none of these in a typical manner. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no known cross-references, this variety documents an uncommon failure mode that provides insight into die stress patterns that diverge from the well-established norms observed across thousands of documented Memorial Cent die cracks during the design's long production history.

Attribution History

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

External References