CU-1c-1982-06(LD) Cud

Description

The zinc-composition member of the CU-1c-1982-06(LD) pair, this cud records the same interior die break on the Zinc Large Date subtype at 2.5 grams — a copper-plated zinc planchet whose lighter weight and different metallurgical properties distinguish it from the bronze version in both measurable and visual ways. Interior cuds on zinc planchets fill the die void with material that is softer and less dense than the copper alloy, which can produce subtle differences in the cud's surface texture: the zinc fill may appear slightly smoother or less granular than bronze under high magnification, though both exhibit the flat, shelf-like profile that is the universal diagnostic signature of genuine cuds. This paired entry, sharing its census number with the Bronze Large Date counterpart, exemplifies the unique collecting opportunity that the 1982 transition created — two coins bearing the same die break but composed of fundamentally different metals, minted during the brief window when a single working die served both planchet supplies. The Zinc Large Date represents Philadelphia's post-transition standard: the lighter, more economical planchet with the same wide date numerals that had been in use since the start of the year. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Charity & Chris Welch
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References