CU-1C-1974D-01 Cud

Description

Designated CU-1C-1974D-01 in the Cuds on Coins catalog, this is the first documented cud variety for the 1974 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial cent. A cud forms when a segment of the die rim fractures and separates entirely from the die body, creating an open cavity at the die's periphery. When a planchet is subsequently struck by the damaged die, metal flows into this uncontained void under the immense pressure of the coining press, producing a raised, shapeless mass of metal at the coin's rim that replaces the normal design elements in that area. CU-1C-1974D-01 marks the beginning of what would become one of the most extensive cud censuses for any single date-mint combination in the Lincoln cent series — thirteen documented cud varieties (CU-1C-1974D-01 through -13, skipping -11) emerged from Denver's 1974 production. This remarkable count is a direct consequence of the date's approximately 4.24-billion-piece mintage, which ranks among the highest single-facility outputs in Lincoln cent history. Producing that volume of coinage required the sustained operation of numerous press lines consuming die pairs at a prodigious rate. Each die was subjected to hundreds of thousands of high-pressure striking cycles, and the cumulative fatigue stress — particularly at the die rim, where the design meets the collar and stress concentrations are highest — inevitably caused rim fractures on a subset of dies. CU-1C-1974D-01 documents the first cataloged instance of such a failure on a 1974-D die. Collectors should note the specific clock-position and arc-length of the cud when confirming attribution, as the thirteen documented varieties each occupy a distinct location on the coin's circumference.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Heritage Auction
• CU-1C-1974D-01
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References