RIDB-1c-1994D-01 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, RIDB-1c-1994D-01 is a retained interior die break on the 1994 Denver Lincoln Memorial cent — a variety that represents one of the more mechanically complex forms of die failure in the minting process. Unlike a cud, where a fragment of the die breaks away at the rim and separates entirely, a retained interior die break occurs when a piece of the die cracks and separates internally but remains held in place by the surrounding die steel. The broken fragment is pushed slightly backward by the repeated force of striking, creating a subtle displacement that manifests on the coin as a raised, island-like area — a plateau of metal slightly higher than the surrounding design, with a faint boundary marking where the crack encircles the retained piece. The raised area does not show the featureless blob characteristic of a full cud; instead, design details within the retained zone may appear slightly softened, shifted, or elevated relative to their neighbors. These varieties are scarce because the retained condition is inherently unstable — continued striking tends to either fully dislodge the fragment or press it back flush with the die surface, limiting the window during which coins with the characteristic raised island can be produced.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Oney
• Cross reference: none.  02/18/2021.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References