Lincoln Cent, 1982, 15+ Coin Bonded Die Cap, 1¢, CH. BU

Lincoln Cent, 1982-1¢, CH. BU.

Dramatic and Exceedingly Rare Multi-Planchet Bonded Die Cap

One of the Largest Known

46.1 grams | 21 mm × 53 mm

This dramatic and highly unusual mint error represents a catastrophic failure within the coining chamber, in which numerous Lincoln cent planchets became trapped and were repeatedly struck into a single bonded mass. The result is a dense, almost sculptural cluster of overlapping coins, many of which retain partial to nearly complete design elements.

Close inspection reveals numerous obverse and reverse impressions, including clear portions of Lincoln’s portrait and the Memorial reverse, layered and distorted throughout the mass. Several planchets exhibit dramatic folding, edge distortion, and extreme metal flow, evidence of repeated strikes under tremendous pressure.

The stacked and compressed layers suggest a prolonged press malfunction in which additional planchets continued to enter the coining chamber while the growing mass remained trapped. With each successive strike, newly introduced planchets were folded, distorted, and bonded to those already present, ultimately producing the extraordinary object seen here.

Errors of this magnitude, incorporating numerous bonded planchets and repeated strikes, are exceptionally rare, and this piece stands head and shoulders above most known examples. We count at least 15 individual coins incorporated into the mass, placing it among the largest multi-planchet bonded die caps known.

For comparison, Stack’s Bowers Galleries offered a 17-piece bonded die cap in its August 2018 ANA sale, describing it at the time as possibly the largest such error ever brought to market. Notably, that example displayed considerably less original red color, and four of its constituent coins had become detached from the primary mass.

The present piece remains remarkably intact, with its constituent coins still bonded together into a single extraordinary mass and substantial original red color visible throughout. With at least 15 coins represented, it must be considered a serious contender for one of the largest intact multi-planchet bonded die caps ever offered at public sale.