1954 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - CU-1C-1954S-02 Rim Cud

Description

This 1954-S Lincoln Wheat cent rim cud, cataloged as CU-1C-1954S-02, comes from the twilight of San Francisco's cent production. The S-mint would strike its final Wheat cents in 1955, then cease cent production entirely until resuming with proof coinage in 1968. The 1954-S cent, with a mintage of 96.19 million pieces, represents one of the last high-volume cent runs from a facility that had been striking Lincoln cents since the series launched in 1909. The second cataloged cud for this date, CU-1C-1954S-02, documents a rim fracture on a working die that failed at a position distinct from the first entry. As San Francisco wound down its circulating cent operations, the infrastructure and expertise that had sustained decades of production remained intact — dies still cracked, presses still struck, and the physics of metal fatigue continued to produce the occasional rim break. For collectors pursuing S-mint Wheat cent cuds, the 1954-S occupies a poignant position: among the last opportunities to find cud varieties from San Francisco's original era of cent striking.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1954S-02

External References