LDB5-1951-001 BIE Die Break

Description

Occupying position 5 in the letter die break location system — a different gap between LIBERTY's letters than the more commonly documented position 4 — this 1951 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent carries the first cataloged BIE die break at that location for the date. Designated LDB5-1951-001, the variety holds dual cross-references: Cohen Index 51-BA701 and Hardy Index 51P-ALR+1, placing it in both major catalog systems for Lincoln Cent die varieties. The Cohen listing provides independent verification beyond the Hardy system, and the "BA" prefix in the Cohen code situates this within the BIE section. Position 5 breaks occur between a letter pairing farther along the LIBERTY inscription than position 4 breaks that dominate BIE catalogs, making LDB5 varieties less frequently encountered and more interesting to specialists assembling positional censuses. The 1951 Philadelphia cent was struck during the Korean War era, a period of high coin demand. Die breaks at any position form through the same mechanism of metal fatigue and fracture propagation, but the specific location affects the visual appearance of the raised feature on struck coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen 51-BA701, Hardy 51P-ALR+1. 03/05/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References