CU-50c-1776/1976D-05 Cud

Description

Cataloged in the Cuds on Coins reference as CU-50c-1776/1976D-05 and documented with images courtesy of Travis Bolton, this cud error was discovered on the 1976 Denver Mint Kennedy Half Dollar struck for the nation's bicentennial celebration. A cud is a major die break occurring at the rim where a fragment of the die steel fractures and separates entirely, leaving a cavity in the die face that fills with metal during striking to produce a raised, featureless blob on the finished coin. The "-05" designation indicates this is the fifth cataloged cud variety for the 1776/1976-D half dollar, suggesting this die design and production run generated multiple terminal die failures at various rim locations. The Bicentennial Kennedy Half Dollar carried the dual date "1776-1976" and featured a special reverse designed by Seth Huntington depicting Independence Hall in Philadelphia, replacing Frank Gasparro's standard heraldic eagle reverse for the commemorative year. The obverse retained Gilroy Roberts' portrait of President John F. Kennedy. Struck at the Denver Mint in clad composition at 11.34 grams with a 30.6 mm diameter, the Bicentennial coins were produced in both 1975 and 1976 — all bearing the 1776-1976 dual date — creating an unusually large production window during which die failures could accumulate. No cross-reference numbers to other cataloging systems exist beyond the Cuds on Coins designation. Cuds on Kennedy Half Dollars tend to produce physically substantial raised blobs due to the coin's large 30.6 mm diameter — the larger the coin, the more die surface area is available for rim fractures, and the resulting cuds are proportionally more dramatic than those found on smaller denominations. The bicentennial issue's special reverse die, used for only this two-year production period, means cuds from this design cannot be found on any other issue in the Kennedy Half Dollar series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Travis Bolton
• CU-50c-1776/1976D-05; number: none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References