CU-1c-1974-09 Rim Cud

Description

Titled as a "Rim Cud" in its original catalog listing, CU-1c-1974-09 is the ninth documented cud variety on 1974 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial cents. The explicit "Rim Cud" designation in the title serves to emphasize that the break occurred precisely at the die's outermost edge — the rim — rather than as an interior die break where a fragment might separate within the design field while remaining partially retained by surrounding die steel. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with a documentation date of September 12, 2018, this variety carries no additional cross-reference numbers from other attribution services. Rim cuds are the most common and recognizable form of major die break, producing a raised, featureless mass of metal where the die fragment was lost. The 1974 Philadelphia cent was struck without a mint mark from a production run of approximately 4.23 billion pieces, and the relentless pace of striking took a measurable toll on die longevity. Nine confirmed rim cuds for a single date-mint combination illustrates the scale of die attrition inherent in billion-plus production runs. Each entry in the census documents a distinct die that reached terminal rim failure, and CU-1c-1974-09 adds to the growing body of evidence that 1974 Philadelphia dies were worked to — and past — their structural limits with some regularity. The September 2018 documentation date indicates relatively recent formal cataloging, though the variety itself may have been known informally for years prior.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Adrian Fernandez
• Cross reference: none. 09/12/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References