LDB4-1955D-003 BIE Die Break

Description

Listed by Cuds on Coins as LDB4-1955D-003, this BIE die break variety appears on the 1955-D Lincoln Wheat cent struck at the Denver Mint. The variety is cross-referenced to Cohen as Not Listed and to Hardy as 55D-4DL+18, where the "DL+" designation indicates a die break measuring one-half or more but less than three-quarters of the full height between the letters, extending below the lowest level of the B and E letter bases. This size classification system provides collectors with a standardized way to compare BIE breaks across different dates and mints. BIE die breaks occur when the die surface between the letters B and E of LIBERTY develops a crack that eventually collapses, leaving a raised area on struck coins. The 1955-D cent was composed of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter. The 1955 date is forever associated with the famous 1955 Doubled Die Obverse from the Philadelphia Mint, but the Denver Mint's production of 563,257,500 cents that year generated its own population of varieties, including this BIE break. As part of the Lincoln Wheat Cents 1909-1958 series, the 1955-D cent was struck during the penultimate era of the wheat reverse design before Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial replaced it in 1959. BIE breaks from the later Wheat cent years are particularly collected because the high-speed production at Denver subjected dies to substantial stress.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen Not Listed, Hardy 55D-4DL+18. 07/18/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References