CU-1C-1985-12 Cud

Description

Die cracks are the precursors to cuds, and understanding their progression illuminates how CU-1C-1985-12 on the 1985 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent came into existence. A cud does not appear spontaneously — it is the culmination of a fracture process that typically begins with microscopic stress concentrations in the die steel, often at points where design elements create thin sections or sharp angles in the die face. These stress points develop into visible die cracks that propagate under repeated striking loads. As cracks extend and interconnect, they define a section of the die that becomes progressively more detached from the main body. The final step occurs when this section breaks free entirely, leaving the void that produces the cud on subsequent strikes. On Lincoln cent obverse dies, the rim area is particularly susceptible because it represents a raised ring on the die face that is structurally thinner than the central field. The lettering of IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, and the date all create additional stress concentrators near this already vulnerable rim zone. Documentation of die cracks on specimens struck before the cud formed can sometimes be matched to a specific cud variety, creating a die-state narrative. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets at 2.5 grams and 19mm from the 1985 mintage of approximately 5.65 billion cents.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young
• CU-1C-1985-12
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References