1943 (D) Lincoln Wheat Cent - PC-1c-1943D-01 Pre-Cud

Description

First pre-cud cataloged for the 1943-D Lincoln wheat cent, PC-1c-1943D-01 documents the earliest detectable stage of die rim failure on a Denver Mint wartime steel cent. Pre-cuds represent the initial phase of die rim deterioration — a crack has run from the rim and back to it, enclosing a rim section that is still part of the die and has not moved from the die surface. On struck coins, pre-cuds appear as fine raised lines that leave the rim and return to it, with the rim profile and design on either side level and in line. Unlike retained cuds, where the fragment has fully cracked through and shifted position, pre-cuds show no visible displacement — only the hairline crack trajectory is visible. Denver struck approximately 217.66 million steel cents in 1943, the middle production volume among the three operating mints that year. The zinc-coated steel planchet composition created the mechanical conditions that made die rim failures endemic throughout 1943 cent production, and the pre-cud stage provides the earliest surviving evidence of a die's possible path toward failure. Cross-referenced with a documentation date of September 21, 2021, this variety was cataloged by Cuds on Coins. The 01 designation marks this as the first (and possibly only) pre-cud identified for 1943-D, suggesting either that Denver's die failure rate was lower than San Francisco's and Philadelphia's, or that fewer 1943-D specimens have been examined with sufficient scrutiny to identify the subtle pre-cud stage. Collectors should examine the rim under 10-15x magnification with oblique lighting, looking for a fine raised line along the rim that maintains consistent position and trajectory across the entire struck area — distinguishing it from random contact marks that would not replicate identically.

Cross References

• Cross reference number: none. 09/21/2021.

External References