SD-10c-1981P-01 Split Die

Description

First cataloged split die on a 1981 Philadelphia Roosevelt Dime, the SD-10c-1981P-01 documents a working die that fractured completely, dividing the die face into separate sections. A split die represents the most advanced stage of die failure short of shattering — the crack extends from one edge of the die to the other, and the segments shift relative to each other under striking pressure. This produces a raised seam on struck coins, sometimes accompanied by step-like displacement where design elements on opposite sides of the crack no longer align. Philadelphia's 1981 dime production ran into the hundreds of millions, and high-volume runs generate the thermal cycling and mechanical stress that accelerate die fatigue. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as SD-10c-1981P-01, identifying this as the first split die on 1981 Philadelphia dimes. Sinnock's Roosevelt design, struck on copper-nickel clad at 17.9mm, was in its thirty-sixth year of production. Examine for a raised line running rim to rim with possible field displacement along the fracture.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References