CU-1C-1976D-05 Cud

Description

Cataloged as CU-1C-1976D-05 by Cuds on Coins, this cud variety is the fifth documented rim break on 1976 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial cents. Cuds result from the complete separation of a fragment of die steel from the rim — a catastrophic structural failure that leaves an open cavity at the die's edge. On each subsequent strike, planchet metal flows into this void and produces a raised, featureless mass along the affected portion of the coin's rim. The 1976 Denver cent bore the hand-punched "D" mintmark that was standard for the facility during this era, and production continued at high volumes despite the Bicentennial celebrations that year — which affected the designs of quarters, half dollars, and dollars but left the Lincoln cent unchanged. Denver's demanding production schedule subjected dies to relentless mechanical stress, and five documented cuds for the 1976-D date reflect the inevitable toll of running dies through hundreds of thousands of high-pressure strikes before retirement. Each cud in the census occupies a unique clock-position on the die rim, distinguishable from its neighbors by the specific location, angular extent, and design elements affected by the break. Collectors encountering a suspected cud on a 1976-D cent should compare the break geometry against all documented entries in the Cuds on Coins catalog to ensure correct attribution. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Geoffrey Noe
• CU-1C-1976D-05
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References