LDB4-2005D-003 BIE Die Break

Description

Third BIE die break documented at Hardy position 4 on the 2005 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, LDB4-2005D-003 records a die fracture between the letters B and E of LIBERTY that fills with metal during striking, producing a raised vertical bar resembling the letter "I" on the finished coin. BIE die breaks are among the most recognizable and widely collected die varieties on Lincoln Cents — their name derives from the visual effect of the filled crack creating what appears to be the word "BIE" within LIBERTY. The Hardy Index classification system organizes these breaks by precise position, and position 4 places this fracture in a specific zone between the B and E. Cross-referenced as Hardy Index 4BL+, this attribution was documented on May 17, 2021. The 2005-D Memorial Cent was struck during the final years of Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse design, which would give way to the four bicentennial reverse designs in 2009 and then the Union Shield design in 2010. Denver's 2005 cent production was substantial, generating billions of coins across hundreds of die pairs, and the mechanical stresses of extended press runs made die cracks between the closely spaced letters of LIBERTY a recurring phenomenon. Three BIE breaks at position 4 for this single date and mint reflects both the volume of production and the diligence of variety researchers examining Denver Mint output from this period. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety joins a vast registry of BIE breaks that spans the entire Memorial Cent era.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Oney
• Cross reference: Hardy Index 4BL+. 05/17/2021..
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References