CU-1C-1965-03 Cud

Description

Recorded as CU-1C-1965-03, this is the third and final documented cud variety for the 1965 Lincoln cent in the Cuds on Coins catalog. The existence of three distinct cud varieties for a single date reflects the extraordinary scale of 1965 cent production at the Philadelphia Mint, where 1,497,224,900 business strike cents were manufactured under the urgent demands of the national coin shortage. A cud is a die failure variety created when a portion of the die rim fractures and separates, leaving a void in the die face that fills with planchet metal during striking. The resulting raised, featureless protrusion on the coin is typically smooth-topped and roughly the same height as the normal rim, though its shape and size depend on the geometry of the die fracture. Each cud variety represents a unique die that experienced its own rim failure at a specific location and point in its service life, making every cataloged cud a one-of-a-kind die event even though the finished coins can superficially resemble one another. The 1965 date carries no mint mark — a consequence of the Coinage Act of 1965, which removed mint marks from all U.S. coins for three years to discourage speculative hoarding by collectors and dealers who targeted low-mintage mint-mark varieties. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1965-03 and attributed by Cuds on Coins. Collectors examining 1965 cents should inspect the entire circumference of the rim under magnification, as cuds from high-speed production can range from dramatic to subtle. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• CU-1C-1965-03
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References