2005 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - RIDB-1c-2005-02 Retained Interior Die Break

Description

Second documented retained interior die break for the 2005 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, RIDB-1c-2005-02 records a die fracture in the interior design field where the broken fragment remained attached rather than falling away. Interior die breaks are less common than rim-based cuds because the interior sections of a die are typically better supported by the surrounding steel and do not experience the same concentrated edge stresses. However, when interior breaks do occur, they can produce some of the most interesting die variety specimens because the retained fragment may shift during subsequent strikes, creating subtle design displacement within areas of normal detail. The distinction between RIDB-1c-2005-02 and its companion RIDB-1c-2005-03 (cataloged at a different date) suggests these represent separate die pairs that independently experienced interior fractures — evidence of the systemic die stress inherent in high-volume cent production. First cataloged on September 1, 2018 by Cuds on Coins, no independent cross-references exist. The documentation of multiple retained interior die breaks for the same date provides researchers with comparative data on the types of mid-field fractures that occur during modern high-speed cent production using copper-plated zinc planchets.

Cross References

• Cross reference number: none. 09/01/2018.

External References