PC-50c-1971D-03 Pre-Cud

Description

Three documented pre-cuds from the 1971 Denver Mint Kennedy Half Dollar reveal systemic die stress during that year's production run. This third pre-cud, like the first two, captures the precursor crack in the die rim before the fractured piece separates to form a full cud. A pre-cud preserves the fracture pattern while the broken section is still attached, showing the crack line that traces where the die rim will eventually fail. The concentration of three pre-cuds from a single date points to conditions that promoted die rim fatigue — Denver's high production volume demanded extended press runs that pushed dies toward their mechanical limits. PC-50c-1971D-03 was cataloged on the same date as the first two, suggesting all three were documented during the same research effort. The 1971-D Kennedy Half Dollar was struck in copper-nickel clad composition, the first year this alloy replaced the 40% silver used since 1965. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, these three pre-cuds provide a window into die failure patterns during a transitional production year at Denver, where dies struck the newly standardized clad composition at volume.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• PC-50c-1971D-03; none. 01/01/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References