CU-1C-1938-01 Cud

Description

First cataloged cud for the 1938 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this die break documents a complete rim fracture on a Depression-era cent struck during the final years before World War II transformed American coinage. The designation CU-1C-1938-01 in the Cuds on Coins system marks it as the earliest documented instance of a full cud for this date, where a section of the die rim broke away entirely, leaving a cavity that filled with metal during striking to produce the characteristic raised featureless area at the coin's edge. The 1938 Philadelphia Mint struck approximately 156 million cents — a modest figure by wartime standards but a substantial recovery from the severely depressed mintages of the early 1930s. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln obverse had been in production for nearly three decades by 1938, and the dies continued to use the wheat ears reverse designed at the series' inception. As the sole documented cud for 1938, CU-1C-1938-01 stands as the reference specimen for rim breaks on this date, providing a baseline for any future discoveries that might extend the catalog for Depression-era cent varieties.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jerry Long
• CU-1C-1938-01
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References