LDB4-1956-014D BIE Die Break

Description

Cataloged in the Cuds on Coins database with the cross-reference Hardy 56P-4DHM (Cohen not listed), LDB4-1956-014D documents a BIE die break on the 1956 Lincoln wheat cent — the distinctive variety class where a die crack or chip between the letters B and E of LIBERTY creates a raised vertical bar that resembles the letter I, spelling out "BIE" instead of "BE." The die markers notation 4DHM identifies this as a specific die marriage within the Hardy catalog system, and the additional diagnostic of a large die crack on Lincoln's nose on the obverse helps distinguish this particular die from the many other 1956 BIE varieties that exist. BIE die breaks are among the most popular error types in the Lincoln cent series because they are visually distinctive, easy to authenticate, and can be found by sharp-eyed collectors in circulation or in unsearched rolls. The mechanism is straightforward: the die steel between the incuse B and E letters on the working die develops a stress fracture, and as the crack widens under repeated striking pressure, it creates a raised line on the struck coin that fills the gap between the letters. The 1956 Philadelphia Lincoln cent had a mintage of 420,745,000, providing ample opportunity for die breaks to develop across the hundreds of obverse dies employed. The wheat ear reverse design, in its penultimate full production year before the Memorial reverse debuted in 1959, pairs with these late-series obverse dies. The large die crack on the nose indicates this die had entered a significantly deteriorated state, and the BIE break likely represented a further progression of die failure that may have soon led to the die's retirement from the press.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen Not Listed, Hardy 56P-4DHM.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References