1955 Lincoln Wheat Cent - CU-1C-1955-06 Rim Cud

Description

Sixth documented rim cud for the 1955 Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety was cataloged by Cuds on Coins under designation CU-1C-1955-06. The 1955 date holds special significance in Lincoln Cent collecting because it produced the most famous doubled die obverse in numismatic history — the 1955 DDO, whose dramatic doubling of the date and inscriptions launched widespread public interest in die varieties. That fame means 1955 cents have been examined more intensely than almost any other date, and the documentation of six rim cuds is partly a product of that heightened scrutiny. A rim cud represents the loss of part of the die's rim gutter: on the struck coin it appears as a raised interruption in the design rim that tracks the rim's course. The 1955 Lincoln Wheat Cent was among the final issues of Victor David Brenner's wheat reverse, which ended production in 1958. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint during the post-war era, the 1955-P cent saw lower mintages than many surrounding dates, which adds a degree of relative scarcity to its die varieties. Each documented rim cud represents a distinct die that experienced rim failure, and six such failures for a single date provides insight into die attrition rates during mid-1950s production.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1955-06

External References