1968 (D) Lincoln Memorial Cent - CU-1C-1968D-04 Cud

Description

Cataloged as CU-1C-1968D-04, this fourth documented cud for the 1968-D Lincoln cent extends the series of rim die fractures documented for the first Denver Mint cent issue since 1964. The progression from CU-1C-1968D-01 through CU-1C-1968D-04 charts a growing body of evidence about die longevity at the Denver facility during its first year back in cent production after the Coinage Act of 1965 moratorium. Each numbered cud represents a distinct working die that experienced a unique rim failure — the position, contour, and extent of the cud on the finished coin serve as a fingerprint identifying the specific die pair responsible. The physical mechanism of cud formation involves cumulative metal fatigue in the die steel: each strike introduces microscopic damage at the grain boundaries of the hardened tool steel, and over hundreds of thousands of impressions these micro-cracks coalesce and propagate toward the die rim, where the geometric stress concentration at the rim-to-collar junction accelerates the fracture. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1968D-04 and attributed by Cuds on Coins. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc at the Denver Mint.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1968D-04

External References