DC-1c-2010-01 Die Chip

Description

Marking the inaugural year of the Lincoln Shield Cent design, DC-1c-2010-01 records a die chip variety on the 2010 Philadelphia Mint cent where a small piece of the die surface broke away, leaving a raised bump on struck coins. This listing carries a dual-error designation: the Cuds on Coins catalog notes that white arrows in reference images identify the die chip, while black arrows highlight a concurrent retained interior die break (RIDB) on the same coin. A die chip produces a localized raised dot or bump when planchet metal fills the tiny void left by the missing die fragment, whereas an RIDB occurs when a larger section of the die cracks but the broken piece stays in place, creating a slightly raised or displaced area in the design. The 2010 cent introduced Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse, replacing the four rotating 2009 commemorative reverses and establishing the design still in use today. Collectors should inspect this variety for both the raised bump from the die chip and the subtle displacement from the retained interior die break, confirming each against the documented reference image annotations.

Attribution History

• Cross reference: DC-1c-2010-01 “White Arrows.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References