CU-50c-1971D-04 Rim Cud

Description

Fourth in the Cuds on Coins catalog for the 1971 Denver Kennedy Half Dollar (CU-50c-1971D-04), this rim cud documents the fourth distinct die fracture event cataloged for this date-mint combination — indicating that the 1971-D production run experienced multiple independent rim break failures across its working die population. With at least four documented cuds, the 1971-D joins a small group of Kennedy Half Dollar date-mints that generated particularly high cud frequency, possibly reflecting the challenges of the first-year copper-nickel clad production transition. The switch from 40% silver to copper-nickel clad required adjustments in striking pressure, die hardness, and annealing protocols, and any imperfection in this transition could have manifested as increased die failure rates. No independent cross-references exist beyond the Cuds on Coins designation. Each of the four documented rim cuds (01 through 04) represents a different working die that fractured at its rim during service, with each cud's location, shape, and angular extent determined by the unique stress fracture path within that particular die. The 1971-D Kennedy Half Dollar (Gilroy Roberts obverse, Frank Gasparro reverse) was struck in copper-nickel clad composition at 11.34 grams with a 30.61 mm diameter. The Denver Mint (D mintmark on obverse) produced these half dollars for general circulation — unlike some later years where half dollar production was restricted to mint sets — meaning CU-50c-1971D-04 specimens entered the circulating supply and may exhibit wear commensurate with their 50+ years of potential use. The cud is visible without magnification, appearing as a raised smooth area that interrupts the coin's normal rim and encroaches upon the adjacent design elements.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Bock
• CU-50c-1971D-04; number: none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References