CU-1C-1972D-06 Cud

Description

Penultimate in the standard cud sequence for the 1972-D Lincoln Memorial cent, CU-1C-1972D-06 represents the sixth die break documented by the Cuds on Coins research team for this high-volume Denver Mint date. By the sixth entry in any date's cud catalog, the pattern of die attrition becomes clear: Denver's 1972 cent production demanded such enormous die throughput that multiple die failures were not merely possible but statistically inevitable, with each failure leaving its unique signature as a raised mass on the coins struck before the broken die was retired from service. The physical characteristics that distinguish CU-1C-1972D-06 from entries 01 through 05 and 07 include its specific rim position, the angular extent of the break along the die circumference, the depth to which the fracture penetrated into the die face, and the shape of the resulting raised area on struck coins — each parameter unique to this particular die's failure geometry. The Cuds on Coins attribution approach requires precise positional matching because cud varieties cannot be identified through the subtle diagnostic features used for doubled dies or repunched mintmarks; instead, the shape and location of the blank raised mass itself serves as the attribution criterion. Among the broader universe of 1972-D Lincoln cent varieties — which includes five doubled die obverses, two doubled die reverses, nine repunched mintmarks, a floating die clash, a counter clash, and a typical die clash — the seven cuds represent the die failure endpoint, documenting dies that didn't merely carry variety-producing anomalies from their manufacture but actually broke apart during their operational service.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bigtallbill on ebay
• CU-1C-1972D-06
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References