SD-10c-2010P-01 Split Die

Description

When a die fractures so completely that it separates into distinct pieces during the striking process, the result is a split die cap, one of the more dramatic forms of mint error encountered on modern coinage. This 2010 Philadelphia Mint Roosevelt Dime, cataloged as SD-10c-2010P-01, was struck by exactly such a catastrophically failed die. A split die cap forms when a broken die fragment remains attached to the press and continues to strike planchets, producing coins with distorted features, raised ridges along the fracture line, and portions of the design that appear displaced or missing entirely. The visual impact of a split die strike is immediately apparent even to the untrained eye, distinguishing it from subtler varieties that require magnification to detect. Roosevelt Dimes from the 2010s were struck in massive quantities at both Philadelphia and Denver, making split die errors statistically rare relative to the enormous output of the modern Mint. As the first cataloged split die variety for the 2010-P dime, SD-10c-2010P-01 documents a moment of mechanical failure preserved in copper-nickel clad coinage.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bob Robets
• Cross reference number: none. 11/7/2018. Cross reference: none. The coin was struck by a split die cap.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References