CU-1C-1978-04 Cud

Description

Fourth in the sequence of documented rim breaks for the 1978 Philadelphia cent, CU-1C-1978-04 was cataloged by Cuds on Coins and records another instance of terminal die failure from this production year. The formation process for every cud follows the same fundamental metallurgical pathway: cyclic loading at the coining press subjects the die steel to repeated stress-strain cycles that gradually degrade the material's structural integrity. Fatigue damage accumulates preferentially at geometric discontinuities — particularly the die rim, where the abrupt change in cross-section between the working face and the collar groove creates an inherent weakness. Once a fatigue crack nucleates at this stress riser, it propagates incrementally with each subsequent strike until the affected rim segment separates completely from the die body. The press may continue to operate for some time before the damage is detected, and during that interval every planchet receives the characteristic raised mass at the break location. CU-1C-1978-04 occupies its own unique angular position along the die rim, and its identification requires comparison of break geometry against reference documentation for all confirmed 1978 Philadelphia cuds. Philadelphia struck these cents without a mint mark from the standard 95% copper composition, a practice that had been in effect since the denomination's inception and would continue through 1979. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• CU-1C-1978-04
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References