CU-1C-1994-01 Cud

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, CU-1C-1994-01 documents an obverse cud on the 1994 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent — a major die break at the rim where a fragment of die steel separated entirely, leaving a void that filled with planchet metal during striking to produce a raised, featureless blob at the coin's edge. The absence of the "R" suffix confirms this break occurred on the obverse die. Rim fractures on Lincoln cent dies are a predictable consequence of coining geometry: the rim is the thinnest structural element, and the collar constrains outward metal flow, concentrating force at the perimeter where steel thickness is minimal. Each strike drives compressive waves through the die that reflect off the rim boundary, creating cyclical stress that nucleates fatigue cracks along grain boundaries. Once a crack propagates far enough, a fragment breaks free, and every subsequent coin struck by the damaged die carries the cud. The 1994-P date saw approximately 6.50 billion cents produced, requiring thousands of die pairs and making rim failures a statistical certainty. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1994-01.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• CU-1C-1994-01
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References