LDB4-2005D-001 BIE Die Break

Description

First documented BIE die break for the 2005 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, this variety is classified under Hardy Index 4BL+ and cataloged by Cuds on Coins. A BIE die break forms when a small vertical crack develops in the die between the letters B and E of LIBERTY, creating a void that fills with metal during striking and produces a raised bar resembling an extra letter I on the finished coin. The LDB4 prefix designates position 4 in the Hardy classification system, and the 4BL+ sub-classification identifies the precise location within that position — a different spot than the 4BH+ seen on other BIE varieties. As the first BIE at this position for 2005-D, it establishes the baseline entry for what may become a longer catalog as more specimens are examined. The 2005 Denver Mint cent was struck during the later years of Gasparro's Memorial reverse, which would end production in 2008. Denver's substantial output employed numerous die pairs across extended runs, and the mechanical stresses of high-speed striking made vertical die fractures in the LIBERTY area a recurring phenomenon.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis A
• Cross reference: Hardy Index 4BL+. 07/13/2015.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References