CU-1C-1977-04 Cud

Description

The fourth confirmed cud in the 1977 Philadelphia cent census, CU-1C-1977-04 was cataloged by Cuds on Coins and documents yet another terminal die failure from this prolific production year. Die breaks progress through a predictable failure sequence: microscopic fatigue cracks form at high-stress zones in the die steel, propagate inward with each successive strike, and eventually link up to isolate a fragment of rim that separates under continued press operation. Once the fragment detaches, the die is effectively damaged but often continues to run, producing coins with the characteristic cud — a raised, amorphous mass of extruded metal at the break site. The 1977 Philadelphia Mint struck cents at an exceptional rate, consuming die pairs at a pace that left ample opportunity for rim fractures to develop. Four documented cuds already represents a substantial count for most dates in the series, yet the 1977 Philadelphia census extends to fifteen entries, underscoring just how aggressively these dies were used. Each variety in the catalog represents a unique die and a unique break geometry, and CU-1C-1977-04 is distinguished from its neighbors by the precise location and extent of its rim separation. Philadelphia did not apply a mint mark to cents during this period, and all 1977-P cents were struck from the standard 95% copper composition. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• CU-1C-1977-04
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References