CU-1C-1939-04 Cud

Description

Authenticating a cud error requires understanding what the die break leaves behind — and CU-1C-1939-04 on the 1939 Lincoln Wheat Cent exemplifies the diagnostic features that separate a genuine cud from post-mint damage. A true cud displays a flat, shelf-like raised area at the rim with no design detail, bounded on its inner edge by a sharp transition where the intact die surface resumes. Metal flow lines at this boundary curve smoothly into the cud plateau, confirming the feature was present during striking rather than added later. The 1939 Philadelphia cent was struck in the familiar bronze alloy — 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc — that had served as the Lincoln cent composition since 1909. During the Great Depression's final years, Philadelphia maintained high cent production despite economic hardship, as small-denomination coins remained essential for everyday commerce. The sustained die usage necessary to produce over 316 million cents created the conditions under which multiple die failures occurred, yielding six cataloged cuds for this date. CU-1C-1939-04 is the fourth in that sequence, documented by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marvin L
• CU-1C-1939-04
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References