2016 (P) Lincoln Shield Cent - CU-1C-2016-01 Cud

Description

Cataloged as CU-1C-2016-01, this cud on a 2016 Philadelphia Lincoln Shield Cent documents the first reported cud variety for the date. The raised, shapeless mass of metal that replaces a section of the normal design on cuds is often visible to the unaided eye, and cuds can be spotted without magnification during roll searching or circulation finds. The mechanism behind every cud is die fatigue: repeated high-pressure strikes against planchets cause stress fractures in the hardened steel die, and when a crack propagates from the interior of the die face to the rim, the enclosed section can break free. Once that fragment separates, the cavity it leaves fills with metal during each subsequent strike, producing the characteristic raised blank area. The 2016 Lincoln Shield Cent, designed by Lyndall Bass with Union Shield reverse sculpted by Joseph Menna, was produced in substantial quantities at Philadelphia, and the volume of production inherently increases the probability that some working dies will develop rim fractures during their service life.

Cross References

• CU-1C-2016-01

External References