CU-1C-1985-28 Cud

Description

Production run length directly influences die failure probability, and CU-1C-1985-28 on the 1985 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent emerged from a production environment where dies were pushed to maximize output. The Philadelphia Mint's 1985 cent production of approximately 5.65 billion pieces created relentless demand for coining dies. Economic pressure to minimize die consumption incentivized extending each die's service life as long as possible — every additional thousand strikes from an existing die deferred the cost and downtime of installing a replacement. This economic calculus meant that dies routinely operated well into late die states, where fatigue damage had accumulated to levels that made cud formation increasingly probable. The statistical relationship between strike count and cud probability follows a fatigue curve: during the first half of a die's service life, cud probability is negligible; during the final quarter, it rises sharply as cumulative fatigue damage approaches the critical threshold. Press operators balanced this rising failure risk against production targets, knowing that replacing a die meant taking a press offline. CU-28's high sequential number among 1985 Philadelphia cuds reflects the breadth of die failures that this production pressure generated. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets at 2.5 grams and 19mm from the 1985 mintage of approximately 5.65 billion cents.

Attribution History

• Discovered by KeithBock on ebay
• CU-1C-1985-28
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References