CU-1C-1982-81 Cud

Description

Eighty-first in the 1982 Philadelphia cud census, CU-1C-1982-81 on the Bronze Small Date subtype demonstrates that even at this extraordinary census depth, the supply of undiscovered die rim failures from this transitional year has not been exhausted. The 1982 cent is unmatched in Lincoln Memorial series complexity — mid-year, the U.S. Mint switched from the 95% copper bronze planchet weighing 3.1 grams to a copper-plated zinc core at 2.5 grams, and the simultaneous use of two different date punches at Philadelphia created four distinct subtype combinations. The Bronze Small Date represents the intersection of the original alloy with the more compact date punch, a pairing that occupied the shortest production window of the four Philadelphia subtypes and consequently involved the fewest working dies. Yet the census continues to add entries for this variety, each one a unique fracture geometry confirmed through rigorous comparison against every previously documented break. The mechanical origin of each cud is identical — cyclic stress from millions of high-pressure strikes causes a segment of the hardened tool steel die rim to crack and eventually separate — but the specific location, angular extent, and depth of each fracture is governed by microscopic metallurgical variables unique to each individual die. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marvin L
• CU-1C-1982-81
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References