CU-1C-1989-02 Cud

Description

Cross-referenced as LC-89-1 in the Cud Book numbering system, CU-1C-1989-02 was among the earliest 1989 Lincoln cent cuds to be formally cataloged. The LC-89-1 designation follows the Cud Book's convention where LC identifies the Lincoln Cent series and 89-1 indicates this was the first cud assigned a date-specific number for 1989 — a distinction from the ND (no-date) numbering used when a cud's position on the die does not correlate to a specific date element. The CU prefix in the Cuds on Coins catalog provides a parallel numbering system that sequences all known cuds for each denomination, date, and mint mark combination. A cud forms through brittle fracture of hardened die steel at the rim, where the edge of the die face meets the collar — a zone of concentrated mechanical stress during every strike cycle. The 1989 Philadelphia Mint produced over 7.2 billion Lincoln cents, and this enormous production volume subjected each working die to hundreds of thousands of strikes, accelerating the fatigue that leads to rim fractures. On copper-plated zinc planchets, the softer substrate requires marginally less striking pressure than the earlier bronze composition, but the sheer production volume still drives substantial die wear. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint at 2.5 grams and 19mm diameter.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bob Piazza
• CU-1C-1989-02; number: LC-89-1.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References