1914 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent Strike Through (Reverse, Grease)

Description

This 1914-S Lincoln Wheat Cent displays a grease strike through on the reverse affecting the area around E PLURIBUS UNUM, where foreign material trapped in the die's incuse recesses prevented the design from fully striking up on the planchet. The top of the O and much of PLURI are impacted by the obstruction, with the tops of the P and R remaining visible but the bottoms and most of the LU lost to the strike through — a partial coverage pattern that reveals the shape and extent of the grease or debris deposit within the die at the moment of striking. Grease strike throughs occur when lubricant, metallic debris, or other foreign material accumulates in the recessed areas of the die face that form the coin's raised design elements, physically blocking the metal flow that would otherwise fill those recesses and produce the intended design features. The resulting coin shows a smooth, featureless area where the obstruction was present, contrasting with normally struck design elements in adjacent areas. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner for the obverse, struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1914 in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The 1914-S had a mintage of approximately 4.1 million pieces, making it a semi-key date in the wheat cent series. Strike throughs are classified as striking errors rather than die varieties because they result from foreign material interference during the striking process itself, not from die manufacturing anomalies. The partial nature of this strike through — affecting specific letters while leaving adjacent ones intact — provides diagnostic evidence of the grease deposit's precise boundaries within the die at the instant this particular coin was struck.