CU-50c-1973D-03 Cud

Description

Recorded by Cuds on Coins as CU-50c-1973D-03, this cud error on the 1973-D Kennedy half dollar documents a major rim die break on a coin struck at the Denver Mint. When a section of the die steel fractures at the rim and the fragment separates, the resulting void fills with planchet metal during each subsequent strike, producing the characteristic raised, featureless blob that defines a cud. The numbering "03" indicates this is the third documented cud variety for the 1973-D Kennedy half dollar, suggesting the dies used for this production run experienced notable failure rates. The 1973-D half dollar was struck in copper-nickel clad composition — the standard since 1971 after the brief 1965-1970 run of 40% silver-clad halves. Denver produced approximately 83.2 million half dollars in 1973, though the denomination was already transitioning from active circulation into collector and banking channels by this decade. No additional cross-references are recorded beyond the Cuds on Coins designation. Gilroy Roberts' obverse portrait of President Kennedy and Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse provide a wealth of fine detail that can be interrupted by rim cuds in visually impactful ways. Collectors of Kennedy half dollar errors prize cuds that intersect recognizable design elements — portions of LIBERTY, the date, or Kennedy's profile — over those that fall in featureless rim areas.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jon Sullivan on ebay
• CU-50c-1973D-03; none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References