1956 Lincoln Wheat Cent - DC-1c-1956-06 Die Chip

Description

Sixth in the documented sequence of die chips for the 1956 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent, this reverse die chip variety records a small die surface fracture on one of the penultimate Wheat Cent dates. Die chips form when a tiny fragment of the die face breaks away, creating a cavity that fills with metal during striking to produce a raised blob on the finished coin, distinct from die cracks which appear as raised lines and cuds which form exclusively at the rim. The 1956 cent was struck during the second-to-last year of the Wheat Ears reverse that Victor David Brenner designed for the Lincoln Cent's 1909 debut — only 1957 and 1958 would follow before Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse replaced it in 1959. Six documented die chips for a single date reflects the systematic cataloging efforts applied to late Wheat Cent production, when Philadelphia's high-volume output consumed many die pairs. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, DC-1c-1956-06 preserves evidence of die deterioration during the twilight years of one of the most iconic and longest-running reverse designs in American numismatic history, which had served continuously for nearly half a century.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. Note: Die Chips on reverse. 10/30/2107.

External References