CU-1C-1949D-01 Cud

Description

First documented cud for the 1949 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, CU-1C-1949D-01 opens the catalog of rim fracture varieties for this late-1940s date. The 1949-D Lincoln Cent had a mintage of approximately 153.13 million pieces — a moderate production figure that positioned Denver below Philadelphia's output but above San Francisco's for that year. Cross-referenced under its catalog designation by Cuds on Coins, this variety exhibits the hallmark of a true cud: a raised featureless area at the coin's rim where a die fragment broke away entirely and the resulting void was filled by metal under striking pressure. The Denver Mint, operating from its Colfax Avenue facility that had been in service since 1906, was processing standard 95% copper cent planchets in 1949 during a period of relative stability in the post-war economy. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln obverse — then in its fortieth year of continuous production — and the Wheat Ears reverse provided the design canvas on which this die failure manifested. As the 01 designation indicates, cuds are less commonly documented on 1949-D cents compared to the prolific cud counts of wartime dates like 1943, reflecting both the lower production volume and the return to normal die-to-planchet interactions with standard bronze composition. Collectors seeking CU-1C-1949D-01 should focus on the rim perimeter, checking for the characteristic raised mass that sits flush with or slightly above the rim level.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• CU-1C-1949D-01
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References