CU-1c-1982-20(LD) Cud

Description

Documenting the zinc half of the CU-1c-1982-20(LD) pair, this interior cud on the Zinc Large Date subtype at 2.5 grams captures the same die fracture that produced the twentieth Bronze Large Date entry in the subtype-specific catalog. The paired structure of the 1982 cud census offers a unique research advantage unavailable for any other year in the Lincoln cent series: because no other year features two different planchet compositions struck at the same mint with the same dies, the Bronze/Zinc pairs from 1982 are the only natural experiment in the series where die failure characteristics can be compared across alloy types with the die itself held constant. This twentieth pair adds to an accumulating dataset that could, in principle, reveal whether the zinc planchet's softer composition systematically affects the visual or dimensional characteristics of cud metal — whether the displaced zinc fills the die void more completely, conforms more closely to the void's irregular geometry, or exhibits different surface grain than the harder bronze fill. On this specimen, the copper plating over the zinc core gives the coin its familiar copper appearance, though the lighter weight immediately distinguishes it from its bronze twin on a precision scale. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References