CU-1C-1972D-10 Cud

Description

Designated CU-1C-1972D-10 by the Cuds on Coins attribution service, this cud variety on the 1972-D Lincoln Memorial cent is notable for lacking the "R" suffix — indicating the die break occurred on the obverse die rather than the reverse. Obverse cuds on Lincoln cents obliterate portions of the familiar Victor David Brenner portrait, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, the word LIBERTY, or the date area, depending on their position along the die rim. The tenth cataloged cud for this date, CU-1C-1972D-10 represents the culmination of progressive die cracking that likely began as fine hairline fractures weeks or months before the final catastrophic separation occurred. At the moment of failure, the fragment broke free from the die body and either fell into the press mechanism or was carried away with the coin feed, permanently altering the die's striking surface for all subsequent impressions. No cross-references to other attribution services have been documented for this variety. The Denver Mint's 1972 cent production, which approached 2.67 billion coins, required thousands of individual die pairs — each subjected to repeated impacts at pressures exceeding 30 tons — and the statistical inevitability of rim failures at this production scale generated one of the largest populations of cud varieties found for any single date in the Lincoln Memorial cent series. Collectors prize obverse cuds particularly when they affect recognizable design elements, as the juxtaposition of the familiar Lincoln portrait with a stark blank zone creates visually compelling specimens.

Attribution History

• CU-1C-1972D-10
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References