LDB4-1957-012A Die Break

Description

First sub-variety within the twelfth die break family on the 1957 Proof Lincoln Wheat Cent, LDB4-1957-012A represents an early stage in the progressive fracturing of die number 012. The Hardy reference 57P-4EL+ classifies this break at the fourth element level, placing the fracture through a design element rather than in the open field of the die. Cross-referenced as Cohen Pending, this variety was cataloged on August 5, 2016 by Cuds on Coins. The "A" suffix following 012 indicates this is the first documented stage of the twelfth die break — likely representing the initial appearance of the fracture before it expanded into the 012B and 012C states documented under separate catalog entries. Progressive die break documentation is particularly valuable on proof issues because the controlled striking conditions and relatively lower production volumes per die mean each stage may be represented by fewer surviving examples. Philadelphia produced 1,247,952 proof sets in 1957, and within that production, individual die pairs struck far fewer coins than business strike dies, making the population of each break stage correspondingly limited. The 4EL classification confirms the fracture intersects design elements, differentiating it from field-level breaks documented elsewhere in the 1957 proof die break catalog.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Juan Aguerre
• Cross references: Cohen Pending, Hardy 57P-4EL+. 08/05/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References