CU-1C-1972D-08R Cud

Description

Among the reverse die break varieties cataloged for the 1972-D Lincoln Memorial cent, CU-1C-1972D-08R represents a significant cud — a major die break at the rim where a fragment of the reverse die steel fractured away entirely, leaving a raised, featureless blob of metal on the struck coin where design detail once existed. The "R" suffix in the catalog designation confirms this break occurred on the reverse die, affecting the Lincoln Memorial design or its surrounding inscriptions, while the "08" sequence number places it among a substantial population of reverse cuds documented for this date. Cuds form when the extreme pressures of the coining process — combined with metal fatigue accumulated over millions of strikes — cause a section of the die rim to fracture completely. Once the fragment separates, the void in the die face fills with metal during each subsequent strike, producing the characteristic raised blank area that gives cuds their name. The Cuds on Coins attribution team documented this variety with no external cross-references established at the time of cataloging. Given the 1972-D date's extraordinary mintage of approximately 2.67 billion pieces, the dies employed at the Denver Mint endured punishing production runs that accelerated fatigue-related failures. Collectors of cud varieties organize their holdings by denomination, date, and position on the coin, with larger cuds and those affecting prominent design elements typically commanding greater premiums than small rim chips.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marvin L
• CU-1C-1972D-08R; none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References