1981 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - CU-1C-1981-04 Cud

Description

Fourth in the Cuds on Coins census for the 1981 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent, CU-1C-1981-04 records a working die whose rim integrity failed under the repetitive stress of high-speed production. A cud — the result of a die rim segment fracturing and separating entirely from the die body — leaves a void in the striking surface that translates to a raised, featureless mass of metal on every coin struck thereafter. Philadelphia's cent production in 1981 was substantial, as the facility continued to supply the bulk of circulating one-cent coinage for the nation. The 1981 date holds additional historical weight as the final full year of the traditional 95% copper, 5% zinc alloy composition — a formulation that had defined the Lincoln cent since 1962 and would be replaced mid-way through 1982 by the dramatically lighter copper-plated zinc planchet. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1981-04

External References