RIDB-1c-1953-02 Cud

Description

Second documented cud on a 1953 Proof Lincoln Wheat Cent, RIDB-1c-1953-02 records a major die break at the rim where a section of the die fractured away entirely, filling with metal during subsequent strikes to produce a raised, featureless mass at the coin's edge. The 1953 Proof cent was manufactured at the Philadelphia Mint as part of the annual proof set, with 128,800 sets produced that year — a production level that was growing steadily from the proof program's relaunch in 1950 after its wartime suspension (1943-1949). Two documented cuds from this relatively low proof mintage suggests that each cud die was used for a meaningful portion of the total run before being retired, potentially producing dozens or hundreds of affected coins. Proof dies of this era were prepared through a meticulous process involving chromium plating and careful polishing, yet the stresses of multi-impression proof striking could still generate rim fractures that progressed to full cuds during a production run. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this second entry for the 1953 proof date stands in contrast to the more heavily populated cud catalogs of later 1950s proof dates, where higher mintages increased both the number of die pairs employed and the total number of opportunities for rim failure. Proof Wheat Cents from 1953 are prized by collectors for their potential cameo and ultra-cameo contrast, and specimens displaying cuds add a compelling die variety dimension to sets focused on surface quality distinctions.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis A
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References