PC-1c-1930S-03R Pre-Cud

Description

Third documented reverse pre-cud for the 1930 San Francisco Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety captures the developing die crack that precedes a full cud — the stage where the rim has fractured but the broken piece has not yet separated from the die body. A reverse die crack extending from the rim into the right wheat stalk serves as the diagnostic feature, noted in the original documentation. Pre-cuds are valuable records of die failure in progress because they document the crack geometry before catastrophic separation occurs, showing collectors exactly where and how the die was failing. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, no external cross-references have been identified for this variety. The "R" suffix confirms the reverse location, and the "-03R" sequence number indicates this is the third reverse pre-cud documented for the 1930-S date. The 1930-S Lincoln Cent had a mintage of 24,286,000, a Depression-era San Francisco output that was lower than the preceding years but still substantial enough to consume multiple die pairs. San Francisco Mint cents from the early 1930s are collected actively by Wheat Cent specialists, and die varieties from this period provide insight into the die usage patterns at the branch mint during the economic downturn. The crack running from the rim into the wheat stalk follows a common fracture path, as the rim edge of the die is a stress concentration point where cracks frequently initiate before propagating inward through the design.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References