LDB123-2021-001 BIE Die Break

Description

Classified at the compound Hardy position 123 — spanning positions 1, 2, and 3 within the LIBERTY inscription — this BIE die break on a 2021 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent records an unusually extensive fracture that crosses multiple classification zones rather than falling neatly into a single Hardy position. The LDB123 compound designation indicates the die crack extends across a substantial portion of the LIBERTY area, connecting position 1 (near the L) through position 2 (between L and I) and into position 3 (near the I and B zone). This multi-position span distinguishes LDB123-2021-001 from typical BIE breaks that occupy a single Hardy position, making it a specimen of particular diagnostic interest. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the variety is the first documented BIE break at this compound position for the 2021-P date. BIE die breaks on Shield Cents — produced from 2010 to the present — continue the long tradition of BIE variety collecting that began with the original Lincoln Wheat Cents. The 2021-P Shield Cent was produced during the twelfth year of the Union Shield reverse design, and the LIBERTY inscription on the obverse remains the same Victor David Brenner lettering that has appeared on Lincoln Cents since 1909. Stress fractures in the die steel between LIBERTY's letters are a consistent feature of Lincoln Cent production across all reverse types, and the cross-position crack documented here suggests a more advanced or differently oriented fracture pattern than the typical vertical crack between B and E that produces the classic "extra I" appearance. Shield Cent BIE varieties extend the series documentation into the modern era, ensuring continuity with the extensive Wheat and Memorial Cent BIE catalogs.

Attribution History

• Cross reference: LDB123-2021-001. 07/11/2023.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References