CU-1C-1972D-01 Cud

Description

First cud documented for the 1972-D Lincoln Memorial cent in the Cuds on Coins catalog, CU-1C-1972D-01 represents a die break at the rim where a section of the die face fractured and separated, leaving a void that produced a raised, featureless blob of metal on struck coins where normal design elements should appear. Cuds form when accumulated stress from millions of high-pressure strikes causes fatigue fractures to develop from the rim inward, eventually liberating a chunk of die steel that cannot be replaced without retiring the die entirely. The Cuds on Coins attribution team systematically catalogs these die break varieties across all Lincoln cent dates, assigning sequential numbers within each date-mintmark combination to track the distinct die failures discovered. The 1972-D cent's massive production volume — Denver struck hundreds of millions of examples — meant large numbers of dies were consumed during the production run, each subjected to the repetitive stress cycles that ultimately produce rim failures. The location, size, and shape of the retained cud impression distinguishes CU-1C-1972D-01 from the six other documented cuds for this date (numbered -02 through -07), as each represents a unique die that failed at a different position along its rim circumference. Among error coin collectors, cuds represent one of the most visually dramatic die failure types because their blank, raised surfaces are immediately apparent without magnification, contrasting sharply with the fine-detail varieties like doubled dies and repunched mintmarks that require optical aids for attribution.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Heritage Auction
• CU-1C-1972D-01
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References