LDB234-1952-001F BIE Die Break

Description

Representing a dramatically later die state than the Stage B specimen cataloged under the same die number, LDB234-1952-001F documents Stage F of the first multi-position BIE die on the 1952 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent — a die that progressed through at least six stages of deterioration before being retired. The jump from Stage B to Stage F indicates substantial additional cracking and die wear accumulated over thousands of additional strikes, and comparing the two stages reveals how the BIE crack system expanded and deepened during the die's working life. Cross-referenced to Cohen Index 52-B12, this later stage received a different Cohen number than the Stage B entry (52-BA6) because Cohen catalogs each visually distinct die state as a separate entry. The Hardy designation 52P-2-3Mul+1 remains identical for both stages because Hardy codes identify the die and position rather than the state — confirming these are the same physical die documented at different points in its service life. The three-position break spanning columns 2, 3, and 4 between the B and E of LIBERTY created an extended crack system whose evolution across six stages provides a case study in progressive die failure. Cuds on Coins documented this later stage in April 2016, two months after cataloging Stage B.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis A
• Cross references: Cohen 52-B12, Hardy 52P-2-3Mul+1. 04/15/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References