LDB4-1957-022 Die Break

Description

Another Extended Lateral break on the 1957 Proof Lincoln Wheat Cent, Hardy 57P-4EL+39 documents a four-segment fracture that propagated into segment thirty-nine — three segments beyond the companion variety 57P-4EL+36 cataloged as LDB4-1957-002. The difference in terminal segments between these two Extended Lateral breaks on the same date and strike type illustrates how seemingly similar fracture mechanisms produce geometrically distinct crack paths depending on microscopic variations in die steel grain structure and localized stress concentrations. Extended Lateral breaks follow paths that run generally across the die face rather than through the portrait, distinguishing them from the Face breaks (4F designation) that cut through Lincoln's image. On the mirror-finish surfaces of proof coinage, the crack line appears as a sharp raised ridge against the reflective field, making even hairline fractures readily visible under low magnification. This 1957 proof die break adds to the growing census of late-era Wheat Cent proof varieties that document die behavior during the final years before the series transition to the Memorial reverse in 1959.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross references: Cohen Not Listed, Hardy 57P-4EL+39. 09/12/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References