CU-1C-1978D-02 Cud

Description

Second in the cud census for the 1978 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial cent, CU-1C-1978D-02 was documented by Cuds on Coins with the notation "number: none," indicating no additional cross-reference designations from other attribution services. This variety records a terminal rim fracture on a different working die from that which produced CU-1C-1978D-01 — each cud in the census represents a unique die failure event characterized by its own break location and geometry. Cuds form through a well-understood metallurgical failure sequence: cyclic loading from repeated strikes initiates fatigue cracks at stress concentration points along the die rim, and these cracks propagate incrementally until a segment of steel separates from the die body. The detached fragment leaves a void in the die surface, and every subsequent coin struck receives a raised blob of extruded metal at the corresponding position on the finished piece. Denver's massive 1978 cent output required extensive die rotation through the facility's high-speed presses, and the mechanical demands of sustaining a production run of approximately 4.28 billion pieces ensured that a measurable number of dies would develop rim fractures during their service life. CU-1C-1978D-02 documents one such failure. All 1978-D cents carry the hand-punched Denver mintmark and were struck from 95% copper planchets. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• CU-1C-1978D-02; number: none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References