CU-1C-1981-14 Cud

Description

Fourteenth in the 1981 Philadelphia cud census, CU-1C-1981-14 records yet another working die that succumbed to rim fracture during this final full year of copper Lincoln cent production. By the fourteenth entry, the census has established a substantial body of comparative data — each new submission can be evaluated against thirteen prior documented breaks, and the likelihood of two different dies producing geometrically identical cuds at the same position is vanishingly small given the random nature of die crack propagation. This statistical reality gives catalogers confidence when assigning new census numbers, though careful photographic comparison remains the primary verification method. CU-1C-1981-14 earned its designation through this process, its rim break position confirmed as distinct from all preceding entries. The 1981 Philadelphia cent holds a special place in the copper cent narrative as the last date struck entirely from the 95% copper alloy before the mid-1982 transition to copper-plated zinc. At 3.1 grams, these coins are noticeably heavier than their 2.5-gram zinc successors — a difference readily apparent when handling both types. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis A
• CU-1C-1981-14
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References