Part IV. Die Errors:

Die Breaks:

Die Chip:

Definition:  A small piece (less than 4 square millimeters) that falls out of the die face and has no direct connection to the design rim.  The missing piece leaves a void in the die face into which coin metal flows.  As a result, the coin shows a featureless lump in the affected area.

A die chip can be connected to a die crack or it can be freestanding.  Die chips frequently develop within narrow interstices in the design, such as the gap between the letters of LIBERTY.  Hence the so-called “BIE” errors.