RIDB-1c-2017P-01 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the RIDB-1c-2017P-01 is the first documented retained interior die break on the 2017 Lincoln Shield Cent from the Philadelphia Mint. This variety appears on Lyndall Bass's Union shield reverse design, introduced in 2010 as the permanent successor to Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse. Retained interior die breaks occur when an interior section of die steel fractures and remains trapped by surrounding material, producing raised irregular outlines within the design field on struck coins. The shield reverse's detailed design — featuring horizontal lines representing the original 13 states, vertical stripes, and the E PLURIBUS UNUM banner — provides a complex grid where interior die breaks create distinctive raised outlines at various locations within the intricate elements. The 2017-P Lincoln Cent is notable for carrying the P mint mark on the obverse for the first time in the denomination's history (as part of the Mint's 225th anniversary celebration), and interior die break varieties from this historically marked date carry additional collecting interest beyond the die failure itself.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Matthew Vallee
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References