LDB4-1954S-0010 BIE Die Break

Description

Tenth documented BIE die break for the 1954 San Francisco Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, LDB4-1954S-0010 records a fracture in the LIBERTY area of a die produced at the third and final mint facility striking cents during this period. The cross-reference to Cohen 54S-BA-1003 places this within the Cohen system's organizational framework, while Hardy lists it as NL (Not Listed), indicating the Hardy catalog had not yet assigned a formal position number at the time of documentation. San Francisco ceased cent production after 1955, making the 1954-S one of the final S-mint Wheat Cents and lending historical significance to every documented die variety from this date. The San Francisco Mint's cent output in 1954 was comparatively modest relative to Philadelphia and Denver, which means fewer die pairs were consumed and fewer total BIE opportunities existed — making ten documented BIE breaks a notable concentration for this lower-mintage facility. The BIE phenomenon occurs when a crack forms in the die between the recessed cavities of the B and E letters, and the void fills with metal during the striking process to produce a raised vertical bar resembling the letter I. Documented on February 26, 2025, this variety represents a very recent addition to the catalog, discovered nearly seventy years after the coins were struck. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, LDB4-1954S-0010 extends the die break record for one of the last S-mint cents in the Wheat Cent series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Juan Aguerre
• Cross references: Cohen 54S-BA-1003, Hardy NL.  02/26/2025.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References