Could somebody please let me know what type of error this is on a 1960 Lincoln Cent? Sorry I'm a newbie and am trying to learn as much as possible. Thank you!
It's a die break. They were common in that location on cents from the 50's. A piece breaks off from the die leaving a void and that translates to raised metal on the coin. The most common spot was a break between B & E of LIBERTY making it look like LIBIERTY. Yours is LIIBERTY but the generic term for any breaks in LIBERTY is "BIE." Welcome to CT.
Thank you! I have a few other coins that have some "possible" issues. I love learning all the terms and history of errors/issues!
Rachael.. I welcome you also Here are 3 Die Breaks that occured on 3 separate 1994 Copper Plated Cents I found back in the late 90's.
Once upon time there was a national club of 200-300 collectors who specialized in BIEs. There are only three IIBs listed for 1960. Yours is listed in the BIE Handbook for $14--a very high price back then.
I never knew such a club ever existed!! So even though it was a common error, they collected them? I love old coins, especially old cents! But finding odd looking ones has become my main interest( well the search and history behind each coin). I don't understand how an error can be worth money! Absolutely amazing
BIE collectors collected any kind of die failure on Lincoln cents especially die cracks such as cracked skulls and spiked heads.
There were coin collectors who felt the same way back in the 50's and 60's. No one even bothered to report the 1955 DDO to Numismatic Scrapbook until 1960. I bet they wish they had a roll of those "freaks" now.
Hahaha I have been reading about errors, that one still shocks me! Proves people should appreciate "freaks" a little more
Can y'all explain why people go crazy for S mint marks...I understand some are rare, but people seem to go crazy for them.
There's a certain cachet to San Francisco coins to the East Coast, where they're rarely found in circulation, and population demographics indicates there would be more collectors in the East than the West. The same cachet is even stronger for Carson City coins - everybody wants them. Numismatics is broad, and inclusive of pretty different collecting focuses. Some people - raises hand - are fascinated by errors, while other collectors don't see the point. Neither are wrong.
