CU-1C-1966-14 Cud

Description

Designated CU-1C-1966-14, this fourteenth cud variety for the 1966 Lincoln cent demonstrates the remarkable persistence of die rim failures throughout the year's extended production run. Each cud in the 1966 catalog represents a unique die that experienced a structurally distinct fracture, and the accumulating count of varieties reflects the sheer number of dies consumed during the production of 2,188,147,783 business strike cents. The relationship between mintage volume and cud frequency is straightforward: more dies in service means more opportunities for rim fractures, and longer die service lives increase the probability that any given die will accumulate enough fatigue to fail. The Philadelphia Mint's 1966 production represented the peak of the coin shortage response, and the Mint's operational priority was output volume rather than die conservation. Dies were run until they failed or produced unacceptable coins, maximizing the number of strikes per die pair at the cost of increased late-stage die deterioration and rim failures. For error collectors, this production philosophy created an unusually rich population of cud varieties concentrated in the 1965—1967 no-mint-mark era. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1966-14 and attributed by Cuds on Coins. The 1966 date carries no mint mark under the Coinage Act of 1965. Collectors who discover additional undocumented cuds for this date can submit them to the Cuds on Coins catalog for formal designation. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by KeithBock on ebay
• CU-1C-1966-14
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References