DC-1c-1952S-02 Die Chip

Description

Second documented die chip for the 1952 San Francisco Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety preserves evidence of localized die failure where a fragment of the hardened steel die face broke away during production. When a die chip occurs, the resulting cavity in the die fills with metal during each strike, producing a raised bump on the coin that appears in the same location on every specimen struck from that die. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no cross-references, the DC-1c-1952S-02 designation follows the systematic nomenclature for die chip classification. The 1952-S Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint with a mintage of approximately 137.8 million coins — a facility that by the early 1950s was winding down its role in cent production as it transitioned toward proof coinage and other specialized functions. The San Francisco Mint had been producing Lincoln Cents since the series began in 1909, and the S-mint Wheat Cents of the early 1950s represent the later years of this long production history. Die chips on San Francisco issues reflect the same mechanical stresses that affect dies at all mint facilities: repeated high-pressure striking gradually fatigues the die steel until small surface fragments fracture and separate. Two documented die chips from the 1952-S date indicates that multiple dies used during that year's production developed this specific type of surface deterioration.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References