LDB1234-2019-001 BIE Die Break

Description

An unusually extensive multi-position BIE die break, LDB1234-2019-001 spans positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the 2019 Philadelphia Lincoln Shield Cent — a far more dramatic failure than the typical single-position BIE. Standard BIE die breaks produce a raised vertical bar between the B and E of LIBERTY from a localized chip or crack in one area, but a four-position break indicates die deterioration across a much wider zone of the letter spacing. The LDB1234 designation identifies breaks at the first through fourth positional columns, creating what is effectively an extended crack system rather than an isolated chip. This is the first die documented with this multi-position break for the 2019 date, designated as Stage A (early die state), when the crack system was at its initial visible extent. Cuds on Coins cataloged this variety in March 2021. BIE die breaks are named for the visual effect they create — a raised I-shaped bar appearing between the B and E of LIBERTY — and they are among the most widely collected Lincoln Cent die varieties due to their accessibility and visual clarity. The 2019 Shield Cent carries Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait on copper-plated zinc, paired with Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse introduced in 2010.

Attribution History

• Cross reference: LDB1234-2019-001 Stage A. 03/05/2021.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References