LDB4-1957-007 BIE Die Break

Description

Carrying Hardy code 57P-EL+6, this 1957 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent BIE die break occupies the East-Left position between B and E of LIBERTY, accompanied by 6 additional die breaks on the same die. The +6 count represents moderate secondary fracturing — enough to produce several visible raised anomalies beyond the primary BIE break, but well below the extreme multi-break counts on certain Denver dies from neighboring years. Cohen assigns a tentative cross-reference of 57-B412 with the qualifier "Possible," indicating the attribution has been proposed but awaits definitive confirmation. Philadelphia produced 283.787 million Lincoln Wheat Cents in 1957, the penultimate year before the Lincoln Memorial reverse replaced the Wheat Ears design in 1959. The EL+6 designation combines positional information with a secondary-break tally, providing both the fracture's location and the overall severity of die deterioration in a single compact code. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, LDB4-1957-007 occupies a middle ground between single-break specimens and the heavily fractured dies that characterize the most deteriorated BIE entries.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen 57-B412 “Possible”, Hardy 57P-EL+6. 07/21/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References