DC-1c-2008-02 Die Chip

Description

Second documented die chip variety on the 2008 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, DC-1c-2008-02 records a minor die surface fracture during the final year of Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse design. A die chip occurs when a small fragment of the die face separates due to localized metal fatigue, leaving a tiny void that fills with copper-plated zinc under striking pressure to produce a raised bump on the coin's surface. The cross-reference DC-1c-2008-02 serves as the primary catalog designation by Cuds on Coins. The 2008 Lincoln Memorial Cent holds special significance as the farewell year for the reverse design that had been in continuous production since 1959 — nearly half a century during which it became the most familiar coin reverse in American numismatics. Philadelphia struck approximately 2.56 billion cents in 2008, and the following year would see four different Bicentennial reverse designs honoring Lincoln's 200th birthday, followed by the permanent Shield reverse in 2010. Die chips on the final year of any design carry a degree of collector interest beyond their die-variety significance, as they represent the last generation of dies to bear that particular design. The copper-plated zinc composition used since 1982 creates somewhat different die chip characteristics compared to the earlier solid bronze composition — the zinc core is softer and can deform slightly differently where the die chip creates its raised bump, sometimes producing a slightly more rounded profile than chips on solid copper coins.

Attribution History

• Cross reference number: DC-1c-2008-02.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References