LDB4-1957D-009 BIE Die Break

Description

Classified as a Large Die Break type 4 — a larger category than the LDB3 designation — this 1957-D Wheat Cent BIE variety is cataloged as LDB4-1957D-009, the ninth LDB4-type break documented for the date. The LDB4 classification in the Cuds on Coins system indicates a die break that exceeds the dimensions of a type 3 break, producing a more substantial raised area between the B and E of LIBERTY. Cross-referenced tentatively by Cohen as 57D-B521 with a "Possible" qualifier, the Cohen attribution reflects the careful methodology of that catalog system, where varieties are flagged as possible matches pending definitive confirmation through additional specimen examination. The Hardy catalog provides a parallel reference as 57D-4FL+27, where the 4FL portion indicates the fourth position between F and L of LIBERTY and the +27 encodes a specific positional offset within that zone. BIE die breaks from 1957-D are the most numerous for any single date-mint combination in the entire Wheat Cent series, a direct consequence of Denver's record-setting production of over one billion cents that year. Each die was pushed to its operational limits, and the area between B and E of LIBERTY — already a stress concentration point in the die design — failed with remarkable frequency across hundreds of individual dies.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen 57D-B521 “Possible”, Hardy 57D-4FL+27. 07/13/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References