CU-1C-1943D-01 Cud

Description

First documented cud for the 1943 Denver Mint steel cent, CU-1C-1943D-01 opens the catalog of rim fracture varieties from Denver's wartime production of zinc-coated steel Lincoln Cents. Denver struck approximately 217.66 million steel cents in 1943, the middle output among the three operating mints, and the aggressive steel-on-die interaction that plagued Philadelphia and San Francisco was equally present at the Denver facility. Cross-referenced under its catalog designation by Cuds on Coins, CU-1C-1943D-01 formed when a rim section of the die fractured and separated completely, creating a void that filled with zinc-coated steel planchet material during each subsequent strike. The Denver Mint, housed in its imposing neoclassical building on Colfax Avenue since 1906, used the same die steel and production methods as the other facilities, meaning the metallurgical challenges of striking steel planchets were universal across the Mint system. As the 01 designation for the Denver facility indicates, this is the foundation entry in what would become a multi-variety catalog of Denver cuds for the 1943 date. While Denver's total documented cud count for 1943 is lower than Philadelphia's extraordinary tally, every Denver cud carries the distinctive D mintmark that distinguishes it from the unmarked Philadelphia and S-marked San Francisco specimens, making mint facility attribution straightforward for collectors examining these wartime die break varieties.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Terry Muth
• CU-1C-1943D-01
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References