1996 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - CU-1C-1996-04 Cud

Description

Fourth in the sequence of documented cuds for the 1996 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial Cent, CU-1C-1996-04 preserves evidence of a die rim fracture that produced one of the most visually dramatic error types in numismatics. When a working die develops a crack that propagates entirely through the die body at the rim, the fractured section can separate completely. Subsequent strikes drive planchet metal into the resulting cavity, forming a raised blank mass where the design should appear — the characteristic cud. The 1996 date yielded an unusually rich cud population, with at least ten documented examples from the Philadelphia facility alone. This density correlates with the enormous production volumes of mid-1990s cent coinage, when the U.S. Mint produced billions of one-cent pieces annually to meet circulation demand. Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait of Abraham Lincoln, first introduced in 1909, and Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse, adopted in 1959, continued unchanged through 1996 — providing the design framework within which these die failures occurred. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the systematic CU-1C designation scheme allows collectors to track and differentiate individual cud varieties within heavily populated dates.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1996-04

External References