CU-1C-1958D-12R Cud

Description

Cataloged as CU-1C-1958D-12R, this reverse cud variety on the 1958 Denver Lincoln Wheat Cent is the twelfth documented reverse die break for this date and mint combination. Reaching a dozen cataloged cuds for a single issue underscores the frequency with which Denver's dies fractured under the demands of high-speed cent production. The copper alloy planchets used for Lincoln Cents — 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc — imposed significant mechanical stress on die steel with every strike, and Denver's presses ran at speeds designed to maximize output. A cud at the 12R position indicates a rim-adjacent fracture whose specific location and geometry differ from the eleven previously cataloged reverse breaks on 1958-D cents. The fracture produced a raised, detail-free zone on every coin struck after the break occurred, persisting until the damaged die was detected and replaced. For variety collectors, the 1958-D date offers an unusually rich hunting ground: its combination of record-level mintage, the physical demands of copper striking, and the end-of-series context creates conditions that favor die failure and the cud varieties that result from it.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• CU-1C-1958D-12R
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References