LDB4-1956-002E BIE Die Break

Description

Bearing the sub-variant suffix "E" within the broader 002 die break group for the 1956 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this BIE die break documents a specific fracture variant within a die that exhibited multiple break characteristics. The sub-letter designation indicates that the parent die (002) produced breaks at several distinct points or progressed through recognizable stages, with the "E" suffix identifying a particular manifestation. BIE die breaks form when a small fracture in the die between the letters of LIBERTY fills with metal during striking, creating a raised vertical bar on the coin that makes LIBERTY appear to contain an extra letter. Cross-referenced as LDB4-1956-002E with Cohen number 56-B615, this variety was documented on 06/01/2016. The 1956 Philadelphia Mint cent was produced without a mint mark — as was standard for Philadelphia issues of this era — in a mintage exceeding 420 million pieces. This was the third-to-last year of Wheat Cent production, and die manufacturing for this familiar design had been refined over nearly five decades of continuous production. Despite this maturity, BIE fractures remained common because the fundamental stress concentration between the LIBERTY letters was inherent to the design geometry rather than dependent on manufacturing technique. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this sub-variant entry demonstrates the granular level of documentation that BIE die break specialists achieve when tracking individual dies through their deterioration sequences.

Attribution History

• Cross reference number:  LDB4-1956-002E, Cohen 56-B615. 06/01/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References