RIDB-1c-2008-06 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the RIDB-1c-2008-06 is the sixth documented retained interior die break on the 2008 Lincoln Memorial Cent from the Philadelphia Mint — a remarkable count that makes this date one of the most prolific for interior die fracture varieties in the Lincoln Cent series. Six retained interior die breaks from a single date and mint suggest that the 2008-P production experienced conditions particularly conducive to interior die failure, whether from die steel characteristics, striking pressure settings, production volume demands, or a combination of factors. As the final year of Frank Gasparro's 49-year Memorial reverse design, the 2008-P production represents the culmination of decades of accumulated manufacturing experience with this reverse — and yet interior die breaks, by their nature, remain somewhat unpredictable regardless of process maturity. Each of the six documented RIDB varieties represents a unique die with its own fracture pattern, creating different raised outlines at different locations within the design. The concentration of six interior breaks for a single date provides valuable comparative data for die failure researchers.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Ethan Powell
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References