CU-1C-1974D-16 Cud

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as CU-1C-1974D-16, this variety documents the sixteenth confirmed rim cud on Lincoln Memorial cents struck at the Denver Mint in 1974. The cud error type results from a complete rim fracture in the die — a catastrophic structural failure in which a section of hardened die steel separates from the working face, leaving an open gap at the die's periphery. Coins struck afterward bear a raised, formless mass of metal where planchet material filled the break, creating an immediately conspicuous deviation from the normal design. The 1974-D Lincoln cent is notable among error collectors for the density of its cud catalog: with more than a dozen documented rim breaks, the date provides one of the most comprehensive case studies in die attrition within the Memorial cent series. This reflects the reality of Denver's 1974 production run, which yielded roughly 4.24 billion cents — a figure that demanded an extraordinary number of die pairs running across multiple high-speed presses throughout the year. Each die operated under tremendous mechanical stress, and the probability of rim failure increased cumulatively with each additional striking cycle. CU-1C-1974D-16 occupies its own unique position in the circumferential catalog of 1974-D breaks, distinguishable from its neighbors in the census by the specific clock-position and extent of its rim damage. No additional cross-reference numbers have been assigned to this variety beyond the primary Cuds on Coins catalog designation.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Sullivannumismatics on ebay
• CU-1C-1974D-16
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References