LDB4-1956-002B BIE Die Break

Description

Remarkable for its documented five-stage die progression, LDB4-1956-002B is a 1956 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent BIE die break cross-referenced as Cohen 56-B610 and Hardy 56P-4F+14. This variety represents Stage 2 in a sequential die deterioration tracked across five separate Cohen numbers, reconstructing the die's entire working life. Stage 1 (Cohen 56-B609) shows the earliest evidence: die cracks on Lincoln's coat and the E of ONE on the reverse. Stage 2 (Cohen 56-B610) adds a die crack through the last S of STATES. By Stage 3 (Cohen 56-B611), the signature BIE has fully emerged, extending below the bottom of the E in LIBERTY. Stage 4 (Cohen 56-B613) introduces a die crack from Lincoln's head to the rim, creating the characteristic "spiked head" effect. Stage 5 (Cohen 56-B15) shows terminal deterioration with two cracks running to the letters WE. A five-stage die progression documented across five distinct Cohen catalog entries is exceptional in variety numismatics — it provides a complete chronological narrative of a single die's degradation from initial cracking through severe fatigue, each stage recorded on coins that collectors can assemble into a sequential set.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen 56-B610, Hardy 56P-4F+14.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References