LDB4-1950D-002 BIE Die Break

Description

Documented by the Cuds on Coins reference catalog and cross-referenced as Cohen 50D-B403 and Hardy 50D-4EL+3 (dated 12/20/15), this 1950-D Lincoln Wheat Cent displays a BIE die break — a specialized category of die break that occurs between the letters B and E in LIBERTY on Lincoln cents, creating what appears to be an extra vertical stroke resembling the letter I between the B and E. The editorial note from Hardy observes that Hardy has four listings for a BIE combined with a die clash at the throat, and it is possible they are all from the same die — a question that highlights the ongoing challenge of distinguishing between multiple stages of a single die versus genuinely separate dies when both exhibit similar combinations of die breaks and clash marks. More examples are needed to determine whether this represents a stage progression from a single die pair or independent occurrences across multiple dies. BIE die breaks occur when the die steel between the B and E in LIBERTY fractures and a small piece falls away, leaving a void in the die that produces a raised vertical line on struck coins — the characteristic "I" that gives these varieties their name. The 1950-D Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse, where the LIBERTY inscription sits along the rim above Lincoln's portrait. BIE varieties are among the most accessible and widely collected die break types on Lincoln cents because their distinctive appearance — an apparent extra letter — makes them easy to spot even without magnification, and the Cohen and Hardy cross-references place this specimen within established large cent die break cataloging systems.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• Cross references: Cohen 50D-B403, Hardy 50D-4EL+3. 12/20/15.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References