CU-1C-1968D-03 Rim Cud

Description

Recorded as CU-1C-1968D-03, this third cud variety for the 1968-D Lincoln cent is classified specifically as a rim cud, indicating a die fracture that remained confined to the outermost peripheral zone of the die rather than extending deeply into the adjacent design field. Rim cuds are the most common subtype of cud error because the die rim — where the die cavity meets the collar wall — experiences the highest concentration of striking forces, making it the zone most susceptible to fatigue cracking. On the Lincoln cent, the normal raised rim is already prominent, so a modest rim cud may add only a subtle bulge that requires careful comparison against the opposite rim to detect. Despite their occasionally subtle appearance, rim cuds are genuine die errors that document a structural failure in a specific working die, and each cataloged example represents a unique fracture event with its own position, extent, and progression. The 1968 date is historically significant as the year Congress restored mint marks to U.S. coinage: the Denver D returned after its three-year absence under the Coinage Act of 1965, and San Francisco resumed proof production. For cud collectors, the restoration of mint marks meant that die errors could once again be attributed to specific mint facilities. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1968D-03 and attributed by Cuds on Coins. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc at the Denver Mint.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• CU-1C-1968D-03
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References