LDB345678-1951-001D BIE Die Break

Description

Spanning the entire LIBERTY inscription from position 3 through position 8, this 1951 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent preserves one of the most extensive BIE die breaks documented in the series — a multi-position fracture cataloged under Hardy code 51P-3-8Mul+1, where "Mul" designates multiple break points across six consecutive interstitial positions and "+1" indicates an additional die feature. A break spanning positions 3 through 8 means every space between every letter in LIBERTY shows evidence of die deterioration, reflecting catastrophic structural failure across the full width of the inscription. Cohen catalogs this die as 51-B97, a designation shared with variants 001E and 001F — confirming that all three entries document the same physical die at different break states or with emphasis on different break positions within the multi-position fracture. The "D" suffix distinguishes this specific documentation from its companion entries. Philadelphia's 1951 cent production exceeded 284 million pieces, providing ample opportunity for heavily deteriorated dies to produce significant quantities before removal from service.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen 51-B97, Hardy 51P-3-8Mul+1. 06/11/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References