1977 Lincoln Memorial Cent - 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. 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.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1977-04

External References