CU-1C-1981-03 Cud

Description

Third in the 1981 Philadelphia cud census, CU-1C-1981-03 continues the documentation of rim die failures at the Philadelphia Mint during the second year of P-mintmarked cent production. While the 1981 Philadelphia cud census has not yet reached the extraordinary depths of the 1980-P tally — which exceeded thirty entries — the presence of multiple confirmed cuds demonstrates that die rim fractures remained a consistent occurrence across production years. The factors driving cud formation — metal fatigue from repeated high-pressure impacts, thermal cycling of the die during continuous press operation, and occasional metallurgical weaknesses in the die steel — are inherent to the coining process and not unique to any single year. CU-1C-1981-03 represents the third distinct working die from the 1981 Philadelphia production run to experience terminal rim failure, its break geometry verified as unique within the census. Collectors of Lincoln Memorial cent cuds often pursue date-complete sets across both Philadelphia and Denver production, and the 1981-P entries form an essential component of any such collection. Struck from 95% copper, 5% zinc alloy. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• CU-1C-1981-03
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References