CU-1C-1972D-04 Rim Cud

Description

Specifically designated as a rim cud in the Cuds on Coins catalog, CU-1C-1972D-04 represents the fourth die break variety for the 1972-D Lincoln Memorial cent. The explicit "rim cud" designation — as opposed to simply "cud" — may indicate a break confined closely to the rim area without extending significantly into the design field, producing a narrower raised mass along the coin's edge rather than a broad blob that obliterates major design elements. Rim cuds occupy the boundary between minor die breaks (small chips at the rim edge) and major cuds (large sections of missing die face), representing breaks that have propagated beyond a simple chip but haven't penetrated deeply enough to remove substantial portions of the lettering, date, or design motifs. The die steel at the rim junction experiences the highest concentration of striking force because it forms the outermost boundary of the die face where metal flow pressure peaks during each impression, making this zone particularly susceptible to the fatigue cracking that initiates cud formation. Among the seven 1972-D cuds in the Cuds on Coins catalog, CU-1C-1972D-04 and CU-1C-1972D-07 both carry the rim cud designation, distinguishing them from the broader die breaks cataloged as entries 01, 02, 03, 05, and 06. The Denver Mint's 1972 production intensity — operating at speeds exceeding 600 strikes per minute on high-speed presses — subjected die rims to relentless repetitive loading that inevitably produced the stress fractures responsible for these rim-area failures.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Koelling
• CU-1C-1972D-04
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References