1955 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - LDB4-1955S-010 BIE Die Break

Description

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.

Cross References

• Cross references: Cohen 55S-BA151, Hardy 55S-4SBL+. 10/02/2015.

External References