CU-1C-1917S-03 Cud

Description

While the Denver Mint accumulated six documented cuds on its 1917 cent dies, San Francisco recorded its own die-failure history with at least three cud varieties on the 1917 (S) Wheat Cent, of which this specimen — CU-1C-1917S-03 — is the third. The parallel existence of multiple cuds at both branch mints for the same year underscores the systemic production pressures of the World War I period, when demand for circulating coinage surged alongside competing military priorities. Dies for Lincoln Cents were manufactured at Philadelphia and distributed to the branches, meaning die steel quality and heat treatment were consistent across facilities — yet local factors like press speed, striking pressure, and the decision of when to retire a deteriorating die varied from mint to mint. The cud on this San Francisco piece preserves the moment a die rim segment broke free, creating the characteristic raised mass of displaced metal along the coin's edge. Third-position cuds are less commonly encountered than first-position varieties because each successive cud for a given date requires its own unique die failure event, and not all such events produce coins that survive into collector hands.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• CU-1C-1917S-03
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References