LDB3-1955D-004 BIE Die Break

Description

Located at Hardy position 3 rather than the more common position 4, this fourth BIE die break at Hardy 3SBL+1 on the 1955 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent documents a LIBERTY die crack at a distinct location along the inscription. Hardy position 3 occupies a different zone within the LIBERTY letter array than position 4, and breaks at this position follow different stress patterns in the die steel. The sub-location SBL+1 — south of the B-L zone at a measured offset of +1 — provides the precise coordinates needed to distinguish this from other Hardy position 3 breaks on the same date. BIE die breaks on Lincoln Cents form when localized fatigue creates a crack between adjacent letters of LIBERTY, and metal from the planchet fills this crack during striking to produce a raised vertical bar on the finished coin. Cohen did not list this variety, with the Hardy reference 55D-3SBL+1 serving as the primary catalog citation. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with a documentation date of November 13, 2015, this entry adds to the already substantial BIE inventory for the 1955-D Wheat Cent. Four BIE breaks at Hardy position 3 for this date, compared to the dozens documented at position 4, suggests that position 4 was a higher-stress zone in the die. The 1955-D represents a terminal-era Wheat Cent, with the series concluding after the 1958 mintage, and die variety documentation from these final years captures the production characteristics of a design at the end of its half-century run.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen Not Listed, Hardy 55D-3SBL+1. 11/13/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References