CU-1C-1969S-02 Cud

Description

Second in the documented cud series for the 1969-S Lincoln cent, CU-1C-1969S-02 records another instance of terminal die failure at the San Francisco Mint. Each cud variety represents a unique die — once a fragment breaks away, that specific break pattern is unrepeatable on any other die, giving every cud an individual identity as diagnostic as a fingerprint. The Cuds on Coins catalog assigns sequential numbers as new breaks are reported regardless of when they were struck relative to each other, so the -02 designation reflects discovery order rather than chronological production sequence. Cud formation on Lincoln cent dies typically initiates at stress concentration points: the junction between a letter and the rim, the corner of the Memorial building's roof line, or the inner angle of Lincoln's bust truncation. These geometric discontinuities in the die's engraved surface act as crack nucleation sites where repeated impact forces concentrate, eventually propagating outward until the crack reaches the rim and liberates a fragment. Collectors of San Francisco mint errors particularly value 1969-S cuds because the relatively lower mintage compared to Philadelphia and Denver makes any die variety inherently less common in surviving populations. Cross-referenced under its Cuds on Coins designation, CU-1C-1969S-02 extends the die-break documentation for this date.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• CU-1C-1969S-02
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References