LDB4-1957-024A Die Break

Description

Cross-referenced as Cohen 57-BA653 and Hardy 57P-4SBH+1, this die break on the 1957 Proof Lincoln Wheat Cent carries dual attribution across the Cohen and Hardy reference systems — an unusual level of documentation for a die break variety. The Cohen 57-BA653 designation places this variety within the Benjamin Anthony Cohen catalog of Lincoln Cent proof die breaks, while Hardy 57P-4SBH+1 classifies it under Hardy's parallel system with the "4SBH" prefix indicating the specific break category. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins on September 14, 2016, LDB4-1957-024A is the twenty-fourth die break documented under the LDB4 classification for the 1957 proof date, with the "A" suffix marking its first recorded sub-stage. The 1957 proof Lincoln Wheat Cent holds a special position in the series as part of the penultimate proof-only year before the Memorial reverse replaced the wheat ears design in 1959. Philadelphia produced 1,247,952 proof sets in 1957, and the proof dies — despite receiving mirror-finish preparation and controlled striking conditions — accumulated fractures that collectors and researchers have systematically documented. The concentration of die break varieties on 1957 proof cents suggests that die steel composition or preparation methods during this production run may have created conditions favorable to fracture propagation, generating the extensive catalog that now serves as a reference for die failure analysis across the entire Wheat Cent proof series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen 57-BA653, Hardy 57P-4SBH+1. 09/14/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References