LDB3-1948-001 BIE Die Break

Description

Documented by Cuds on Coins as LDB3-1948-001 and cross-referenced as Cohen Not Listed, Hardy Not Listed 48P-3EHM, this BIE die break variety occurs on the 1948 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent. BIE die breaks are a distinctive class of die deterioration specific to the Lincoln Cent series, where a vertical die crack or chip develops between the B and E of LIBERTY on the obverse, producing a raised mark on struck coins that resembles the letter "I" between these two letters. The LDB3 prefix designates this as a Class 3 BIE in the Cuds on Coins classification system, which categorizes BIE varieties by the size, shape, and precise position of the break relative to the surrounding letters. A notable aspect of this variety is its rarity context: the accompanying commentary observes that Cohen does not list any 1948 dies in her BIE listings, meaning this entire date was absent from one of the foundational BIE references. Hardy lists only one Class 3 (Type IIB) for 1948, placing this LDB3-1948-001 in a very small known population of documented 1948 BIE varieties. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner, with his Abraham Lincoln portrait obverse introduced in 1909 and the Wheat Ears reverse serving through 1958. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, the coin weighs 3.11 grams at 19.05 mm diameter. The cross-reference update date of December 1, 2015, records when this variety's documentation was last verified. The scarcity of documented 1948 BIE varieties — essentially absent from Cohen and barely present in Hardy — makes any confirmed example noteworthy for BIE specialists and Lincoln Cent variety collectors. Examination requires low magnification focused between the B and E of LIBERTY, looking for the characteristic raised vertical element.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Juan Aguerre
• Cross reference: Cohen Not Listed, Hardy Not Listed 48P-3EHM. 12/01/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References