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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;foundinrolls, post: 684347, member: 4350&quot;]When a die is not useable,&nbsp; they do retire it.&nbsp; They also deface the die.</p><p><br /></p><p>A grease filled die is not fatal to the die<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&nbsp; They clean it up and continue to use it.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>They try to get as much as they can out of a die before they voluntarily retire it.&nbsp; If you look at nickels from the early eighties or quarters from the early nineties, for example, you will see evidence of dies being used well beyond when they should have been retired.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>There are a lot of variables involved.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I know that you might want to suggest that some things like the 1994 D cent can be attributed to a bad die being used.&nbsp; One of the problems with moving in that direction is that the other parts of the coin don&#039;t show much, if any evidence of die deterioration. </p><p><br /></p><p>Die deterioration is a process that is seen as a progression as a die is used.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway....The rest of your questions have to do with dies breaking.&nbsp; I am not sure what the rate of breakage is today versus what it would be on other post 1990 cents, for example.</p><p><br /></p><p>I do know that they improve the die steel as they improve the hubbing and die making technologies.&nbsp; If you look at coins of the late fifties and early sixties,&nbsp; you will see evidence of die chips more often than you do on coins minted more recently.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>During the beginning of the 1980s, particularly on cents you start to see a lot of die breakage evidenced by small die cracks often from the corners of the Memorial building out to the rim.&nbsp; (Die cracks effect other coins as well)</p><p><br /></p><p>As you get into the 1990s, particularly 1995 and later,&nbsp; you see a lot of die crack evidence on half dollars, particularly along the bottom of Kennedy&#039;s bust and sometimes leading from the point of the neck to the rim.</p><p><br /></p><p>States quarters have evidence of die cracks often seen as a fine line along the bottom of Washington&#039;s neck,&nbsp; also leading out toward the edge from the point of the neck.</p><p><br /></p><p>The designs of the coins and the depths to which the designs are impressed into the dies have as much to do with dies cracking as the die steel itself.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Minor die cracks are the norm and unless the die crack really becomes a problem,&nbsp; coins will be struck by dies that have cracks in them.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I hope that helps.</p><p><br /></p><p>Bill[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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