DC-1c-2004-01R Die Chip

Description

First documented reverse die chip for the 2004 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, this variety was cataloged by the Cuds on Coins research team with no other known cross-references. The "R" suffix in the catalog designation indicates this die chip occurs on the reverse (Memorial) side of the coin, distinguishing it from obverse die chips that affect Lincoln's portrait. A die chip is a localized form of die deterioration where a small fragment of the hardened die surface fractures and separates, leaving a shallow cavity that fills with planchet metal during each strike and produces a raised bump or dot on finished coins. Die chips can occur at any location on the die face and vary in size from barely visible dots to substantial lumps depending on how much die material separated. The 2004 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck during the final years of Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse design, which would be replaced in 2009 by four rotating Bicentennial reverses and then the Shield design in 2010. By 2004, the zinc-plated steel planchet composition (adopted in 1982) had been in use for over two decades, and the interaction between zinc planchets and the die surface creates different wear characteristics compared to the earlier copper alloy. The Lincoln Memorial reverse, with its twelve columns, steps, and architectural details, offers numerous fine-relief features where die chips can occur and be identified, though this particular chip had no established cross-reference at the time of documentation.

Attribution History

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

External References