PC-1c-1969D-02 Pre-Cud

Description

Cataloged as PC-1c-1969D-02 by Cuds on Coins and first documented on August 10, 2022, this pre-cud variety on the 1969-D Lincoln Memorial cent captures a die in the critical intermediate stage between normal service and catastrophic failure. A pre-cud represents the penultimate chapter in a die's life: a crack has propagated from an interior stress point to the rim, fully delineating the fragment that will eventually separate, but the fragment remains attached and functional. Coins struck from a die in this condition display a raised line tracing the crack path — metal flows into the crack under striking pressure, producing a fine ridge on the finished coin — without the featureless blob that characterizes a true cud. The distinction between a pre-cud and a retained cud lies in the integrity of the fragment: in a pre-cud the fragment is still firmly seated, while in a retained cud it has begun to shift or sag. No cross-references to other attribution services have been established for this variety, making the Cuds on Coins listing the sole published catalog entry. Denver's 1969 production placed enormous demand on die inventories during the mint's first full year back in operation with mint marks following the 1965-67 suspension, and dies that survived to the pre-cud stage document the extreme service life expected of each die pair.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Greg Bowyer
• Cross reference: none. 08/10/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References