New 1955-D BIE

rmpsrpms

It seems improbable that a new Wheat Cent die variety would be discovered, but I think I just found a new 1955-D BIE. This was on eBay, but it had the wrong attribution. I wasn't sure if it was new but I couldn't find it in Cohen, my primary source. Once I received it, I could inspect it more closely, and indeed it was not in Cohen, nor Hardy, and I don't see it on Cuds on Coins, so I think it's a new discovery. It's a big one too! Not as big as the 55-S B650 "Sausage", but it might be the biggest 55-D BIE as it's very tall (the die chip was very deep) and extends a long way below the BE. It looks like a sleeping walrus to me!

Anyway, below is a small size detail of the BIE itself, and I also shot it in High Resolution (9500x9500) and posted on EasyZoom, see it here:

https://easyzoom.com/image/515761/album/0/4?mode=manage

CRHer700

Where can I find a reference list for these?

rmpsrpms

@CRHer700 said:
Where can I find a reference list for these?

This is the best place to look:

http://cuds-on-coins.com/lincoln-cent-bies/

BLUEJAYWAY

Nice find. I'd call it the "potato" or "pear" shaped BIE.

OAKSTAR

Again, phenomenal photos!! 👍🏻

gonzer

Looks like a rabbit with it's back turned.

tcollects

@gonzer said:
Looks like a rabbit with it's back turned.

now all I see is a rabbit

rmpsrpms

Pareidolia is powerful. To me it looks like a fat sleeping walrus!

It was the sort of "arrowhead" shape to the part that extends below the BE that made me look twice at this one. There are many BIEs with half of this arrowhead shape, but there are only a few with both sides like this.

I also plan to shoot it at high magnification so I can get an accurate 3D scan to show the height of the die chip. I bet it is very tall, but it's hard to tell in 2D. The height also depends of course on how well-struck the coin is.

rmpsrpms

I went ahead and shot the BIE area at higher magnification to enable a good 3D view, and higher resolution 2D. This is a very tall BIE, perhaps twice as tall as the BE!

Notice how sharp the transition is between the lower part of the BIE and where it meets the field. This sharpness indicates that the die chip probably broke out within fewer than 100 coins struck.

OAKSTAR

STUNNING!!!

rmpsrpms

Also notice the small chip at the lower left corner of the B. This die was on its way to being an IBIE, and might have made it there, who knows? The flattened top of the B and E are also interesting. They are not hits, as they have "texture" similar to the rest of the letter surfaces. Not sure what happened there.

rmpsrpms

Here is a 3D rendering viewed from the bottom of BIE, at field level:

BLUEJAYWAY

Superb photos.

OAKSTAR

Hey @rmpsrpms - The VAM guys should hire you! 😉 👍🏻

Steven59

Amazing photography.