LDB4-1957-015 Die Break

Description

Fifteenth die break cataloged on the 1957 Proof Lincoln Wheat Cent, LDB4-1957-015 carries a slightly different Hardy reference than many others in the 1957 proof break series: 57P-4FL+5, with the trailing "+5" suggesting a specific positional sub-classification within the fourth field level category. This additional precision in the Hardy system helps distinguish this break's location from the generic 4FL+ classification shared by many other 1957 proof breaks. Cross-referenced as Cohen Pending, cataloged July 31, 2015 by Cuds on Coins, this break was documented on the same date as the fourteenth break (LDB4-1957-014), suggesting both were identified during the same research session. Philadelphia produced 1,247,952 proof sets in 1957, continuing the steady growth in proof production that had characterized the 1950s as collector interest in United States proof coins expanded. The 1957 Proof cent, struck with Victor David Brenner's Wheat Ears reverse in its penultimate year, holds a special status among variety collectors as one of the last proof issues carrying the classic reverse that had been in continuous use since 1909. Fifteen documented die breaks within a single proof date provides a statistically interesting sample size for studying die fracture patterns under proof striking conditions, where higher pressure and slower speed create different stress profiles than business strike production.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen Pending, Hardy 57P-4FL+5. 07/31/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References