Die Errors

What Are Die Varieties?

Die Errors

First Edition

May 2011

by James Wiles, Ph.D.

ie errors, while not technically defined as a die variety, have commonly been collected in the same manner that die varieties have been. Each die with a similar error is cataloged and collections are assembled of the coins from the various dies demonstrating that error type. Three widely popular die error types collected on the Lincoln cent are the spiked head die crack, the BIE die break and the CUD or major die break.

Under tons of pressure and thousands upon thousands of strikes, a die will begin to wear. At first just a surface crack is usually seen, but with additional strikes, the crack begins to deepen, widen, and lengthen. Chips of die metal break away causing raised areas not original to the design on the newly minted coin. Though not on the die originally, once formed these cracks and chips are repetitive in nature. Every coin struck will show their presence on the die.

In the infancy of the error-variety hobby, these die errors were avidly collected with several books devoted to the subject. Though not as popular as they once were, the thousands of new collectors brought into the hobby through the State Quarter program are now rediscovering the thrill of the search and the joy of collecting these error types.

Examples

Spike Head Die Crack

BIE Die Break

CUD, Major Die Break



	In the infancy of the error-variety hobby, die errors were avidly collected with several books devoted to the subject.

Email: jameswiles@sbcglobal.net

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