LDB345678-1951-001E BIE Die Break

Description

Sharing both Hardy code 51P-3-8Mul+1 and Cohen designation 51-B97 with entry 001D, this 1951 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent represents a second documented state or aspect of the same catastrophically fractured die that produced multi-position BIE breaks across the full LIBERTY inscription. The "E" suffix differentiates this record from 001D and 001F, each of which captures a different manifestation of the die's progressive failure — whether through varying break widths, different stages of metal displacement, or emphasis on specific positions within the six-position span. Documenting multiple states of a single die is standard practice in BIE cataloging, as the appearance of a die break evolves throughout a die's working life: early-state breaks may show hairline cracks, while late-state examples exhibit fully developed raised lumps of displaced metal. The LDB345678 prefix itself tells the experienced collector that this is no ordinary BIE — single-position breaks are the norm, and a fracture network spanning all six letter spaces represents an extreme case of die deterioration. Cohen 51-B97 anchors the physical die identity across all three companion entries.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marvin L
• Cross references: Cohen 51-B97, Hardy 51P-3-8Mul+1. 02/11/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References