CU-1C-1981-15 Cud

Description

Fifteenth in the census, CU-1C-1981-15 places the 1981 Philadelphia cud tally firmly in the mid-teens — a count that, while not rivaling the extraordinary thirty-entry record set by the 1980-P census, nonetheless confirms that die rim failures were a persistent feature of Philadelphia cent production throughout the early 1980s. The factors driving these failures — mechanical fatigue, thermal stress cycling, and occasional metallurgical inconsistencies in die steel — operated continuously regardless of calendar year, meaning that any year with sufficient production volume would inevitably generate a meaningful number of cud-producing dies. CU-1C-1981-15 documents one such die, its specific rim break verified as unique within the census through geometric comparison against the fourteen preceding entries. Collectors seeking this variety should look for the characteristic raised featureless area at the rim, positioned distinctly from the breaks documented for entries 01 through 14. The coin was struck from 95% copper planchets at the Philadelphia Mint in the last full year of copper cent production. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young
• CU-1C-1981-15
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References