CU-10c-1940S-01R Cud

Description

First documented reverse cud for the 1940 San Francisco Mint Mercury Dime, CU-10c-1940S-01R captures a die rim fracture on one of the most popular coin designs in American numismatics. Adolph A. Weinman's Winged Liberty Head (Mercury) Dime, produced from 1916 through 1945, features Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap on the obverse and a fasces with olive branch on the reverse — the side where this cud appears. The "01R" suffix designates this as the first reverse cud for the date, and the "S" mintmark confirms San Francisco production. San Francisco's dime output in 1940 totaled approximately 21.6 million pieces, struck in 90% silver composition. Cuds on Mercury Dimes are particularly collectible because the design's relatively high relief and detailed fasces reverse concentrate striking forces in ways that can accelerate die rim fatigue. When the rim section fractured and separated completely, the resulting cavity allowed planchet metal to flow freely, creating the raised featureless mass characteristic of cud errors. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no additional cross-references currently known, this variety represents an intersection of die error collecting with the widely popular Mercury Dime series that draws sustained collector interest.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Heritage Auction
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References