are die cracks on lincolns rarer of pre 82 dates or after 82??? if so how rare?

So, since the mint is continually updating its technology and methods in order for fewer die cracks and errors, it's best to compare close ranges of years together. So let's compare two years immediately before and after 1982.

I've never done a study on this, of course, but I'd guess more die cracks on the new composition cents. If I'm not mistaken, the dies would need to be tougher to strike the zinc vs. the copper. There's a chance they didn't make the dies tough enough and, therefore, cracks would appear more frequently.

After 1982, when the zinc became the main metal, I tend to find more of what I call 'bubble trails'. These sort of look like die cracks but when you rub on them with finger nail or wooden toothpick the raised area dissipates, flattens out. Sometimes I cannot really distinguish if an suspect line is actually a die crack or a filled file mark, although the filled file marks tend to be very straight and usually numerous.

Conservatively speaking, I believe I have searched well over ten thousand Lincolns and have found it less likely to find die cracks after the 1982 zinc revolution. However, with this said, I have found a few die cracks in some of the 90's era Lincolns, mostly in the scalp area. I have found most of my best die cracks in pre 1959 Lincolns.

Corky

ive found a wicked die crack but of course it needs a bath in acetone..

Careful there Dustin. Sure don't want you to get sick from this.
Sometimes I wonder if 'goo-gone' would remove some of the gunk from pennies without harming them.
I will have to try it next time I find a gunky penny.

Corky

i just need that green gunk off whch its just on and around the die crack.

If I am not wrong, the hardness of zinc is much softer than copper.

Mohs hardness for zinc is 2.5 and for copper it is 3.0 (assuming if they are pure)

which means in theory, die cracks on zinc coins will be much scarce as the dies last much longer before cracks appear.

I suppose you have tried soap and water.
Or, sometimes I find that plain rubbing alcohol will take off some of the green stuff.
I just dip a cotton swab in the alcohol and carefully rub at the green. So far I haven't found that the alcohol has caused any harm to the coppers. A wooden toothpick is good for some of the stuff I have found. So far I haven't ruined any coppers with a toothpick.

Good luck!

Corky