1985 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - CU-1C-1985-35 Cud

Description

Approaching the upper range of the catalog sequence for 1985 Philadelphia cuds, CU-1C-1985-35 on the Lincoln Memorial cent represents a standard obverse cud — a die break where a section of the obverse die face fractured away from the rim inward, creating a raised, designless area on the portrait side of the coin. The high catalog number reflects the depth of collector examination this date has received over the decades since 1985: early cud hunters documented the most obvious examples first, while later discoveries often involved subtler breaks, specimens from less-examined populations, or pieces that surfaced from long-held accumulations. The copper-plated zinc composition of post-1982 Lincoln cents creates a distinctive surface appearance on cuds — the zinc core, when exposed by the die void, takes on a slightly different tone than the copper-plated field, and on older specimens this tonal difference can develop further as the zinc and copper surfaces patinate at different rates. Experienced collectors use this tonal contrast as an additional diagnostic when examining potential cuds on zinc cents, distinguishing them from copper-era cuds where the homogeneous alloy produces uniform color across both cud and field.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1985-35

External References