CU-1C-1966-16 Rim Cud

Description

Cataloged as CU-1C-1966-16 and classified as a rim cud, this is the sixteenth documented cud variety for the 1966 Lincoln cent and the third rim cud among the 1966 varieties. The three rim cuds documented for 1966 (CU-1C-1966-13, -15, and -16) share the common characteristic of being confined to the peripheral rim zone, while the remaining cuds in the 1966 catalog extend more prominently into the adjacent design areas. The relative abundance of rim cuds versus larger cuds is consistent with the mechanics of die failure: small fractures at the very edge of the die rim are statistically more common than large fractures that remove substantial sections of the die face, because small cracks require less energy to propagate and can occur earlier in the die's service life. The 1966 Lincoln cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint without mint marks under the continuing provisions of the Coinage Act of 1965. With a business strike mintage of 2,188,147,783 — the highest annual cent output of the entire no-mint-mark era — the die population consumed during 1966 was correspondingly enormous, providing a large statistical sample in which die failures of all sizes and geometries could manifest. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1966-16 and attributed by Cuds on Coins. Collectors assembling a complete set of 1966 cud varieties will note that rim cuds require more careful examination than the larger, more visually dramatic cuds that extend into the field. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marvin L
• CU-1C-1966-16
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References