LDB4-1955S-010 BIE Die Break

Description

Tenth documented BIE die break for the 1955 San Francisco Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety records a die fracture between the LIBERTY letters on coins struck at the smallest-volume mint facility producing cents that year. San Francisco's 1955 cent production was dramatically lower than Philadelphia or Denver — approximately 44 million pieces — making BIE die breaks from the S-mint considerably scarcer in absolute terms than their P or D counterparts. Ten documented BIE breaks from such a limited production is proportionally significant, suggesting that the die fracture rate was comparable across all three mint facilities regardless of production volume. Cross-referenced as Cohen 55S-BA151 and Hardy 55S-4SBL+, this variety was cataloged on 10/02/2015. The Hardy position 4SBL+ locates this particular fracture with precision within the LIBERTY area, and the Cohen listing under BA151 confirms independent documentation in a second reference system. BIE die breaks form when stress concentrations in the thin die steel between LIBERTY's letter recesses cause micro-fractures that fill with metal during striking, producing a raised bar. The 1955-S was one of the final San Francisco Mint business-strike cents — the facility would transition to proof-only coinage within a few years. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety offers collectors a San Francisco Mint BIE die break from a date that also produced one of numismatics' most famous errors, the 1955 doubled die obverse.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen 55S-BA151, Hardy 55S-4SBL+. 10/02/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References