CU-1C-1981-06 Cud

Description

Sixth in the 1981 Philadelphia cud census, CU-1C-1981-06 extends the documented record of die rim failures at the Philadelphia Mint during the penultimate year of copper cent production. Each cud in this census represents a distinct working die that reached terminal failure — the point at which a rim segment separates irreversibly from the die body, ending the die's useful life unless the break happens to fall in an area where the Mint deems continued use acceptable. In practice, many cud-producing dies were retired promptly, but some remained in service long enough to strike hundreds or even thousands of coins before removal, creating a survivor population that feeds into the collector market decades later. CU-1C-1981-06 was assigned its census number after its rim break was verified as geometrically distinct from the five preceding entries. The 1981 Philadelphia cent was produced from 95% copper, 5% zinc planchets weighing 3.1 grams — specifications that would become obsolete the following year when the Mint transitioned to 2.5-gram copper-plated zinc planchets. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jon Sullivan
• CU-1C-1981-06
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References