CU-1C-1968D-04 Cud

Description

Cataloged as CU-1C-1968D-04, this fourth documented cud for the 1968-D Lincoln cent extends the series of rim die fractures documented for the first Denver Mint cent issue since 1964. The progression from CU-1C-1968D-01 through CU-1C-1968D-04 charts a growing body of evidence about die longevity at the Denver facility during its first year back in cent production after the Coinage Act of 1965 moratorium. Each numbered cud represents a distinct working die that experienced a unique rim failure — the position, contour, and extent of the cud on the finished coin serve as a fingerprint identifying the specific die pair responsible. Collectors pursuing a complete set of 1968-D cuds can differentiate between the four known varieties by the location of the raised mass relative to the obverse and reverse design elements and by any accompanying die markers such as cracks, chips, or scratches elsewhere on the die surface. The physical mechanism of cud formation involves cumulative metal fatigue in the die steel: each strike introduces microscopic damage at the grain boundaries of the hardened tool steel, and over hundreds of thousands of impressions these micro-cracks coalesce and propagate toward the die rim, where the geometric stress concentration at the rim-to-collar junction accelerates the fracture. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1968D-04 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

• CU-1C-1968D-04
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References