LDB6-1953-001C Die Break

Description

Proof Lincoln Wheat Cents struck in 1953 at Philadelphia carried the distinction of being among the final proof issues before the Mint suspended proof production after 1964, and LDB6-1953-001C records a die break within that carefully controlled proof production environment. Cross-referenced under Cohen 53-B1106 and Hardy Index 53P-ALRT+1, this variety was cataloged by Cuds on Coins, which documented the break position along with a reporting date of December 22, 2015. Unlike business strikes where die breaks are common consequences of high-volume production stress, die breaks on proof coins are comparatively scarce because proof dies receive far fewer impressions — typically in the range of a few thousand strikes versus hundreds of thousands for circulation dies. The 1953 proof mintage of 128,800 pieces means any die break variety from this date survives in limited numbers proportional to the proof run. A die break occurs when internal stress fractures propagate through the die steel, causing a section to separate and leaving a raised, featureless area of metal on struck coins where the broken portion no longer imparts design detail. The Hardy Index designation 53P-ALRT+1 positions this break within a systematic cataloging framework for Lincoln Cent proof die failures, providing researchers with standardized identification across institutional collections. Collectors examining 1953 proofs should inspect for the raised area characteristic of this break, keeping in mind that proof surfaces make such anomalies particularly visible against the mirror-like fields.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen 53-B1106, Hardy Index 53P-ALRT+1. 12/22/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References