IDB-1C-2014-02 Interior Die Break

Description

Cross-referenced under both IDB-1C-2014-02 and IDB-1c-2014-02 (case variation in the denomination abbreviation), this interior die break on the 2014-P Lincoln Shield Cent was documented on 12/21/2017 by Cuds on Coins. Unlike cuds, which involve breaks at the die rim, interior die breaks occur within the body of the die face — the die steel fractures internally, creating a raised line or irregular ridge on the struck coin that cuts across the design elements in a path determined by the stress fracture's propagation through the die. The catalog note specifies that this specimen exhibits both an interior die break and a die crack on the reverse, plus a die crack above the eye on the obverse — indicating the die was experiencing progressive structural failure across both faces, with stress fractures advancing through the steel from multiple initiation points. Die cracks above the eye on Lincoln's obverse portrait are a relatively common failure mode on cent dies because the eye area sits in a region of the die that experiences significant metal flow stress during striking, making it a preferential site for crack initiation. The combination of reverse IDB, reverse die crack, and obverse die crack on a single coin demonstrates an advanced state of die deterioration where the working die pair was approaching the end of its service life. The 2014-P Lincoln Shield Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper). Interior die breaks on Shield Cents are collected as a distinct error subcategory, with the raised fracture lines providing unique visual signatures that make each IDB entry one-of-a-kind in its path geometry.

Attribution History

• IDB-1C-2014-02; IDB-1c-2014-02. 12/21/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References