LDB3-1983D-001 BIE Die Break

Description

Cross-referenced to the Hardy Index as 83D-3EM, LDB3-1983D-001 catalogs a BIE die break on the 1983 Denver Lincoln Memorial cent. BIE varieties are a distinctive class of die break unique to Lincoln cents, where a die crack develops between the letters B and E of LIBERTY and creates what appears to be a capital letter I standing between them — hence the name "BIE." The Hardy Index, compiled by researcher Jeff Hardy, remains the definitive catalog for BIE varieties, and the 83D-3EM designation places this specimen within his systematic classification framework for Denver-minted 1983 issues. BIE die breaks occur because the narrow space between B and E in LIBERTY sits in a region of the die subject to concentrated stress during repeated striking, and the thin web of die steel separating these two letters is vulnerable to cracking under the millions of impacts a working die endures. When the crack widens sufficiently, it fills with metal during striking to produce a raised vertical bar that mimics the letter I. On the 1983-D copper-plated zinc planchet, this raised bar appears with the same copper-toned surface as the surrounding design, and detection typically requires careful examination of the LIBERTY inscription under low magnification. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Bennett
• Cross references: Hardy Index 83D-3EM.  04/10/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References