LDB6-1966-002 BIE Die Break

Description

Cataloged as LDB6-1966-002, this is the second BIE die break variety in the LDB6 positional category for the 1966 Lincoln cent, cross-referenced as Cohen 66-B1150 and Hardy 66P-EL+1 with a documentation date of 11/07/2019. BIE die breaks — the raised vertical bars that appear between the B and E in LIBERTY on Lincoln cents — form when progressive die deterioration creates a crack or chip in the die steel at that specific location, and the resulting void captures planchet metal under striking pressure. The Hardy reference 66P-EL+1 provides precise classification data: "EL+" indicates a die break that extends below the lowest level of the adjacent letters, meaning the crack propagated beyond the baseline of the B and E and into the field below them. The "+" suffix signifies that the break exceeds three-quarters of the letter height, making this a substantial die break that would produce a visually prominent raised bar on the finished coin. The "1" indicates this is the first documented variety in this specific classification subcategory. The existence of multiple BIE die breaks in the same LDB positional category for a single date demonstrates that the zone between B and E on the Lincoln cent die is structurally predisposed to cracking — the narrow strip of die steel separating two deeply incised letter cavities is inherently weak and subject to fatigue failure under repeated striking. The 1966 cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint without mint marks during the Coinage Act of 1965 era, from the year's massive production of 2,188,147,783 business strike cents. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mike Durney
• Cross reference: Cohen 66-B1150, Hardy 66P-EL+1. 11/07/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References