CU-1C-1966-02 Cud

Description

Designated CU-1C-1966-02, this is the second documented cud variety for the 1966 Lincoln cent and one of six cud varieties cataloged for this date by Cuds on Coins. Cuds form through a progressive die failure mechanism: the repeated cycling of the press under pressures exceeding 40 tons gradually introduces metal fatigue into the die steel, particularly along the rim where stress concentrations are highest. Over time, microscopic cracks nucleate at the die edge, propagate through the steel with each successive strike, and eventually coalesce into a fracture that separates a fragment of the rim. When the fragment falls away from the die, the resulting void produces a smooth, raised protrusion on every subsequent coin struck from that die. The size of the cud depends on the extent of the die fracture — a small chip produces a minor cud barely distinguishable from a rim nick, while a major fracture can remove a substantial arc of the die rim and obliterate adjacent design elements on the finished coin. The 1966 cent was produced at the Philadelphia Mint without mint marks under the Coinage Act of 1965, which had removed all mint marks from U.S. coinage to discourage speculative hoarding. The year's mintage of 2,188,147,783 business strike cents was produced on the tin-free 95% copper and 5% zinc composition introduced the previous year. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1966-02 and attributed by Cuds on Coins. Each of the six 1966 cud varieties is distinguished by its unique position, size, and shape along the rim. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Koelling
• CU-1C-1966-02
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References