LDB4-1957-011 BIE Die Break

Description

Eleventh cataloged BIE die break at Hardy position 4 on the 1957 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety was documented on July 13, 2015, by Cuds on Coins and carries cross-references as Cohen Pending with Hardy designation 57P-4EL+17. The "Cohen Pending" status indicates this variety had been identified and listed but had not yet received a formal number in Kenneth Cohen's comprehensive census of Lincoln Cent die breaks at the time of its cataloging — a common status for varieties discovered after the initial Cohen publication that await inclusion in a subsequent update. The Hardy sub-position 4EL+17 provides granular location data, distinguishing this break from the other ten varieties previously documented at Hardy position 4 for the 1957-P cent. BIE die breaks develop when the die steel between the incuse letters of LIBERTY fails under the repeated compressive stress of coining, creating a crack or void that fills with metal during striking. The raised element that appears on the coin — often resembling an extra letter between the existing letters of LIBERTY — makes BIE varieties among the most visually accessible die varieties for beginning collectors. Philadelphia's 1957 cent production consumed a substantial number of die pairs, and the concentration of BIE breaks at Hardy position 4 suggests this location on the die experienced particularly high stress, possibly due to the geometry of the adjacent letter forms and their relationship to the metal flow patterns during striking. This variety is one of dozens at Hardy position 4 for this date alone, establishing 1957-P as a benchmark year for BIE die break research.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen Pending, Hardy 57P-4EL+17. 07/13/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References