CU-1C-1951S-06R Cud

Description

Sixth documented reverse cud on the 1951 San Francisco Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this die break formed when a section of the reverse die rim separated from the die body, creating the void that produces a cud's characteristic raised featureless blob on the finished coin. Six reverse cuds from a single date and mint represents a notable concentration of die rim failures, and the San Francisco Mint's 1951 cent production — though considerably smaller than Philadelphia or Denver outputs — evidently generated enough die usage to produce multiple rim fractures across different die pairs. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with the cross-reference CU-1C-1951S-06R, this variety is part of the broader corpus of San Francisco Mint Wheat Cent die breaks. The S mintmark adds collectibility, as San Francisco cents from the late Wheat Cent era (1940s-1958) are generally produced in lower quantities than their P and D counterparts. The 1951-S was struck during the Korean War era, when San Francisco's role in cent production supplemented the larger eastern mints' output. Die rim fractures occur when accumulated striking stress exceeds the die steel's fatigue limit at the rim, where forces are most concentrated during the coining process.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• CU-1C-1951S-06R
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References