DC-1c-1952D-01 Die Chip

Description

First documented die chip for the 1952 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, cataloged by Cuds on Coins on May 10, 2018. A die chip forms when a small piece of the die surface fractures and detaches, leaving a void in the die that fills with metal during the striking process to produce a raised bump on the finished coin. Die chips differ from cuds in both location and scale — while cuds are major rim breaks, die chips are typically smaller fractures that can occur anywhere on the die face. The 1952-D Lincoln Wheat Cent was produced at the Denver Mint in substantial quantities during the post-war economic expansion, when growing consumer commerce demanded large volumes of small denomination coinage. Denver's extensive cent production employed numerous die pairs throughout the year, and each die was subject to the gradual accumulation of surface stress that could eventually cause small fragments to fracture away. As the first documented die chip for 1952-D, this entry establishes the initial catalog record for this date and mint combination. The Wheat Cent's reverse design — with its paired wheat stalks and clean central field containing ONE CENT and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — provides a particularly favorable background for spotting small die chips, as raised anomalies stand out clearly against the relatively uncluttered design areas.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bill Albright
• Cross reference number: none. 05/10/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References