1935 Lincoln Wheat Cent - PC-1c-1935-06R Pre-Cud

Description

Sixth in the reverse pre-cud census for the 1935 Lincoln wheat cent, PC-1c-1935-06R represents another instance of incipient die failure documented by the Cuds on Coins attribution service on a different reverse die than the five previously cataloged pre-cuds for this date. Each pre-cud entry in the census originates from an independent die — multiple specimens showing the same pre-cud confirm a single catalog entry, while specimens from different dies with pre-cuds at different positions earn separate designations. Victor David Brenner's wheat ear reverse design, with its fine grain detail extending toward the rim lettering, provides diagnostic elements that reveal early die fracturing as a fine raised line crossing the normally crisp stalk and letter details, which stay level and in line on either side. Philadelphia's 1935 production of approximately 245.4 million cents consumed numerous reverse dies throughout the production year, and the accumulation of six documented reverse pre-cuds underscores the mechanical stress that high-volume striking imposed on die rims. Pre-cuds occupy a specific position in the die failure progression: they follow the invisible internal stress fracture stage (detectable only through metallurgical analysis) and can precede the retained cud stage, where the die fragment has broken completely free yet is still held in place. The 06R designation extends the 1935 reverse pre-cud census to a depth that exceeds many other wheat cent dates, potentially reflecting either particularly intensive collector scrutiny of this Depression-era issue or manufacturing conditions that predisposed 1935 dies to rim deterioration. Examination under 7-10x magnification along the reverse rim should reveal a faint raised hairline crack, visible under strong lighting, that leaves the rim and returns to it while the adjacent rim and design stay level.

External References