1987 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - RIDB-1c-1987-01 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Designated RIDB-1c-1987-01 by Cuds on Coins, this retained interior die break on the 1987 Lincoln Memorial cent represents a fundamentally different fracture mechanism than the rim-based cuds and retained cuds that dominate the die break census. Interior die breaks originate within the body of the die face rather than at the rim edge, requiring internal material flaws, inclusions, or severe subsurface fatigue to initiate a crack that circumscribes a portion of the die's interior surface. When this interior fragment cracks but remains held in place — retained rather than separated — the struck coins display a closed crack pattern, often circular or irregular, surrounding a slightly raised or displaced area of design. The retention of the fragment means the design within the cracked zone is still present but may appear subtly shifted, tilted, or elevated relative to the surrounding die surface. Interior die breaks are considerably rarer than rim breaks because the rim is the structurally weakest zone of any coining die, and fractures that initiate within the stronger central die body require more extreme conditions to propagate. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

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