1982 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - Zinc Small Date - CU-1C-1982-59 Cud

Description

Second Zinc Small Date cud in this batch, CU-1C-1982-59 expands the die failure record for a subtype that has historically yielded fewer census entries than either Large Date configuration. Whether the Zinc Small Date's lower cud count reflects a genuinely smaller die inventory — meaning fewer working dies were made from the Small Date hub for zinc planchet production — or simply less thorough searching of this subtype remains an open analytical question. Dies from the Small Date hub, with its more compact numerals, may have entered service partway through the zinc production run rather than at its inception, which would limit the number of small date dies exposed to the full cumulative fatigue of extended use. Alternatively, the small date dies may have been manufactured to tighter tolerances or from a different die steel batch, introducing variables that could affect rim fracture probability. Each new Zinc Small Date cud like CU-59 adds a data point that helps resolve these competing hypotheses. Struck from the 2.5-gram copper-plated zinc planchet at Philadelphia. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1982-59

External References