RRDC-50c-1997P-01 Bisecting Rim to Rim Die Crack

Description

Die cracks that traverse an entire coin from rim to rim represent among the most dramatic failures short of a full break. RRDC-50c-1997P-01 catalogs the first confirmed bisecting die crack on the 1997 Philadelphia Kennedy half dollar, where a continuous raised line crosses the full diameter, bisecting the design into two halves. Most die cracks extend only partway across before the die is retired, making rim-to-rim examples comparatively uncommon. The crack forms as a stress fracture propagates through the die steel under repeated striking pressure, eventually spanning the entire die face. On the struck coin, metal flows into the fissure during each impression, producing a fine raised line that follows the crack's path across devices, legends, and fields. The Kennedy half dollar's large 30.6mm diameter means a bisecting crack covers substantial distance, making it visually striking even to the unaided eye. Philadelphia struck 2.79 million half dollars for circulation in 1997, a modest figure that limits the surviving population of this variety. RRDC-50c-1997P-01 documents a die permitted to operate well past the point of significant structural compromise.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Norman Asis
• Cross reference: none. 12/1/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References