Diechip
Diechip. A tiny portion of metal which breaks away from the surface of a die, usually near the rim or lettering – but could be from any part of the design – where the metal stress is great. The resulting cavity causes a raised lump or boss on the surface of any piece struck from that broken die (if a diechip occurs near the rim the resulting boss is called a cud by collectors). If the diechip happens to fall on a blank it may be impressed in the surface of that struck piece. Or a tiny diechip could lodge on a blank but become wedged into a die cavity during the impression of that blank, thus causing a filled die on all subsequent pieces struck from that die.
The areas of greatest stress on the surface of a die are usually where there is steep-pitched relief – rapid rises and falls of relief – in design or lettering but often near the border. It is at these points of a die that the greatest amount of metal is displaced on the surface during striking, thus these areas exhibit the greatest stress, (where dies wear the most), and where diechips are most likely to occur.Dies are also vulnerable where lettering has tiny projections to form open parts of letters, as the top center of a capital A; also, one or both portions of a B, or the entire centers of D and O are common areas that break out of the die to form diechips. An attempt to strengthen the die by filling in a portion of these tiny open areas is called champs levée. See broken die, diiebreak Die Chuck. A heavy, metal insert in a toggle press that holds a die in place during use. The chuck is attached to the drive stake. The die is locked into the chuck with set screws or mechanical clamps. Improper maintenance or setup can result in the die becoming loose enough to move during the striking cycle, thus causing off-center or other striking defects.CLASS 05.42360-(002)06.9excerpted with permission from
An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology
For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON
Roger W. Burdette, Editor