CU-1C-1985-03 Cud

Description

For the cherry-picker searching circulation finds, CU-1C-1985-03 on the 1985 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent represents the kind of variety that rewards persistence in high-volume searching. With Philadelphia producing approximately 5.65 billion cents in 1985, the statistical base of surviving coins is enormous — yet cuds remain scarce relative to that output because each cud die produces coins only during the interval between the initial fracture and the die's removal from service. Cherry-picking cuds requires a different approach than searching for doubled dies or repunched mint marks: rather than examining fine details under magnification, the collector scans for irregularities at the rim visible to the unaided eye. The raised blob of a cud breaks the coin's circular profile in a way that catches attention during rapid visual sorting. Experienced searchers develop a rhythm of edge-scanning that allows them to process hundreds of coins per hour, flipping each cent to check the rim periphery on both sides. The 1985 Philadelphia date, lacking a mint mark, offers a clean obverse field that makes rim anomalies slightly easier to detect against the uncluttered space below the date. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19mm.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Koelling
• CU-1C-1985-03; number: none
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References