CU-1C-1978D-04 Rim Cud

Description

Specifically titled as a "Rim Cud" in the original catalog listing, CU-1C-1978D-04 is the fourth documented die break variety on 1978 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial cents. The explicit "Rim Cud" designation emphasizes that the fracture occurred at the die's outermost edge — the junction between the die face and the collar groove — rather than as an interior retained die break where a fragment separates within the design field. Rim cuds are typically more dramatic than interior breaks because the loss of a rim segment creates an open-sided void that allows planchet metal to extrude freely during striking, producing a prominent raised mass that extends to the very edge of the coin. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, CU-1C-1978D-04 adds to the growing census of rim failures from Denver's 1978 production campaign. The facility struck approximately 4.28 billion cents that year from 95% copper planchets, each bearing the hand-punched "D" mintmark that was standard for Denver through 1989. Four documented rim cuds from this date represents a moderate but meaningful census, and each entry in the catalog records a unique die that developed a terminal fracture during its service life. The break's specific clock-position, angular extent, and relationship to adjacent design elements provide the diagnostics necessary to distinguish CU-1C-1978D-04 from its census neighbors. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• CU-1C-1978D-04
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References