IDB-1C-1958D-05 Interior Die Break

Description

Fifth documented interior die break for the 1958 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety is cross-referenced with multiple designations: IDB-1C-1958D-05 as the primary Cuds on Coins identifier, COC SKH-1c-1958D-03 indicating the same die also produced a spiked head variety, and Cohen Index 58D-54C "Spiked Head" providing the traditional catalog reference. An interior die break differs from a rim cud in that the fracture occurs entirely within the die's design area rather than at the rim edge, producing a raised island or peninsula of featureless metal surrounded by normal design detail. When the broken die fragment separates from its cavity, the resulting void fills with metal during striking, creating a raised bump or irregular mass on the coin's surface in a location where design elements should appear. The multiple cross-references for this variety indicate it was significant enough to be independently documented by different researchers under different classification systems, and the connection to the spiked head listing (SKH-1c-1958D-03) suggests the interior break and the die crack extending from the head occurred on the same die, documenting a die that was failing in multiple locations simultaneously. The 1958-D Lincoln Wheat Cent represents the final Denver Mint production of the Wheat reverse, with a massive mintage of approximately 800.9 million coins. The concentration of five interior die breaks for this date and mint speaks to the extreme die usage required by such enormous production volumes.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Matthew Campbell
• IDB-1C-1958D-05; number: COC  SKH-1c-1958D-03, Cohen Index 58D-54C “Spiked Head”.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References