RIDB-1c-1969D-01 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Cataloged as RIDB-1c-1969D-01 by Cuds on Coins, this retained interior die break on the 1969-D Lincoln Memorial cent represents a distinctly different failure mode from rim-based cuds. While cuds form when cracks propagate outward to the die's edge and a peripheral fragment separates, a retained interior die break (RIDB) occurs when a crack system forms entirely within the die face — encircling an interior area without reaching the rim — and the delineated fragment sinks or shifts slightly under repeated striking pressure while remaining captured by surrounding die steel. The result on struck coins is a raised irregular area within the design field, often island-shaped, that disrupts the normal relief without the rim connection characteristic of cuds. Interior die breaks require specific stress conditions to form: typically a subsurface metallurgical defect (an inclusion, void, or grain boundary weakness) acts as a nucleation site, and radial cracks extend outward from it in multiple directions until they connect, isolating the fragment. No cross-references to other attribution services have been published for this variety. As the sole documented RIDB for the 1969-D cent, this variety occupies a unique position in the die break taxonomy for this date, complementing the several cuds, pre-cuds, and retained cuds also cataloged from Denver's high-volume 1969 production.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jay Dunn
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References