CU-1C-1991-02 Cud

Description

The second cataloged cud for the 1991 Lincoln Memorial cent, CU-1C-1991-02 preserves evidence of a die that suffered catastrophic rim failure during the striking process. A cud forms when a section of the die edge breaks free under the immense repeated pressure of coin production — each strike subjects the die to approximately 35 to 40 tons of force — and the separated fragment either falls away or shifts in the die cavity. Subsequent strikes against the damaged die produce coins with a raised, unstruck mass of metal where the missing die fragment once carried design elements. The size, shape, and position of the cud blob vary with each unique break, making every cud variety a one-of-a-kind record of die failure. For the 1991 Philadelphia cent, four cuds have been cataloged in total, indicating that multiple dies reached their failure threshold during the year's production run. The zinc composition of post-1982 Lincoln cents creates distinctive die wear patterns because the copper-plated zinc planchets interact with die steel differently than the bronze alloy used in earlier years. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19mm.

Attribution History

• Discovered by 42tomo on ebay
• CU-1C-1991-02
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References