CU-1c-1982-37(LD) Cud

Description

Sharing the CU-1c-1982-37(LD) designation with its bronze twin, this interior cud on the Zinc Large Date at 2.5 grams documents the same die fracture on the copper-plated zinc planchet that replaced bronze as the standard cent composition during mid-1982 production. The zinc version of entries in the upper thirties of the Large Date catalog serves a specific documentary purpose beyond simple alloy-variant coverage: by confirming that the fractured die continued operating on zinc planchets after striking bronze blanks, it establishes that this particular die was not among those retired during or before the composition changeover but instead bridged the transition and accumulated additional strikes on the new material. This bridging behavior — a single die serving both alloy eras — is the very mechanism that creates Bronze/Zinc pairs in the catalog, and its confirmation at census number thirty-seven reinforces the finding that dies were not systematically replaced when the planchet supply changed but continued in service until their normal end-of-life retirement criteria were met. The zinc planchet's lighter weight and layered composition distinguish it physically from its bronze twin, even as the copper plating ensures both halves of the pair appear superficially similar to the casual observer. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References