CU-1C-1991-03 Cud

Description

Documenting the third distinct cud variety for the 1991 Lincoln Memorial cent, CU-1C-1991-03 records another instance where a die rim fragment separated during production, leaving its signature raised blank area on struck coins. Cuds are classified by their position around the rim — typically described by clock position — and by the design elements they obscure, since the missing die fragment eliminates whatever letters, numerals, or design features occupied that section of the die. Collectors prize cuds for their dramatic visual impact: unlike subtle doubled dies or faint die scratches that require magnification, a well-developed cud is immediately visible to the naked eye as an obviously wrong area of featureless raised metal interrupting the normal design. The value of a cud variety correlates with the size of the break, the importance of the obliterated design elements, and the overall eye appeal of the specimen. The 1991 date's four cataloged cuds place it among the better-represented years for this error type in the Lincoln Memorial cent series, offering collectors multiple examples of terminal die failure from a single production year. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19mm.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• CU-1C-1991-03
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References