LDB4-1996-004 BIE Die Break

Description

Documented by Cuds on Coins on July 13, 2015, and cross-referenced in the Hardy Index as 4CLM, this 1996-P Lincoln Memorial Cent BIE die break displays the characteristic raised vertical element between the letters B and E in LIBERTY on the obverse. The Hardy Index classification 4CLM encodes specific morphological information: "CL+" indicates a break extending one-quarter or more but less than one-half the height of the surrounding letters, extending below the lowest level of the letters — meaning this BIE mark reaches down below the baseline of the B and E letterforms, a distinctive profile compared to BIEs that are confined within the letter height zone. BIE die breaks form when a die crack develops between the B and E in LIBERTY, sometimes growing into a die chip where a small piece of the die surface detaches, producing a raised vertical mark on struck coins that resembles an additional letter I inserted between B and E. The catalog designation LDB4-1996-004 identifies this as the fourth BIE variety documented for the 1996-P date. The 1996 Lincoln Memorial Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-plated zinc composition at 2.5 grams and 19 mm diameter, with a mintage of 6,612,465,000 cents — a massive production run requiring thousands of working dies and generating numerous opportunities for die deterioration events. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait positions LIBERTY at the left side of the obverse, where the B-E gap is susceptible to stress-related cracking. The 4CLM Hardy classification provides standardized morphological data for comparing this break against other BIE varieties.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Smith
• Cross reference: Hardy Index 4CLM. 07/13/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References