What Is a BIE Error on a Lincoln Cent, and Is It Worth Anything?
BIEThe BIE Error: A Beginner-Friendly Variety
If you've been searching through Lincoln cents and found what looks like an extra letter "I" between the B and E of LIBERTY, congratulations — you may have found a BIE error. These are one of the most popular die varieties among beginning collectors because they're common enough to find in pocket change but interesting enough to keep you hunting.
What Causes a BIE Error?
A BIE is a specific type of die chip (also called an interior die break). As a die wears down from striking coins, small pieces of the die surface can break away. When a chip occurs in the space between the B and E of LIBERTY on a Lincoln cent die, it creates a void that fills with metal during striking — producing what looks like a raised letter "I" between the B and E.
The name "BIE" comes from the fact that it appears to spell out B-I-E instead of just B-E in LIBERTY.
Varieties and Variations
Not all BIE errors look the same. The size, shape, and position of the die chip varies from die to die:
- Some show a thin, tall "I" that closely resembles an actual letter
- Others show a shorter, wider bump that's more clearly a die chip
- The position can vary — some are centered between B and E, others are closer to one letter
- Some show additional die chips or cracks in the surrounding area
BIE vs. Normal LIBERTY
For comparison, here is what a normal LIBERTY looks like on a Lincoln cent — clean space between B and E with no raised material:
Is It Worth Anything?
BIE errors are common relative to other die varieties — they exist on hundreds of different die pairs across many years of Lincoln cents. Individual examples typically sell for $3-15 depending on the size and clarity of the BIE, the date, and overall coin condition. Particularly large or dramatic examples can bring more.
The real value of BIE errors is as a gateway variety. They teach you to examine coins carefully, use magnification, and understand die deterioration — skills that directly translate to finding more valuable varieties like doubled dies and repunched mint marks.
Browse BIE varieties in the NumisDex BIE catalog.