How do you know if your coin is a diecrack or a cud.

I agree with Torontokuba. Just because a die crack arcs from rim to rim does not mean it is a retained cud. A retained cud must show either vertical or lateral displacement. This is the definition used by the attributors at cuds-on-coins.com and as far as I know is agreed upon by all the major error experts.

 

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True, but until there is movement of the broken piece (Resulting in either a retained cud or a full cud) you can't tell if the piece has actually broken off the die or if the die is just cracked and the piece is still attached. A crack can run from one edge of a die to another and still have the piece attached to the rest of the die.

 

@Andy Kim die cracks you see more often may at first look like scratches, but only (IMO) because you are new to seeing them. After awhile (like with just about anything else you have practice at seeing or doing) you will begin to automatically know that it is a die crack instead of a scratch. For one, a lot of times, the 'line' is raised somewhat and if you look closely, resembles a mountain chain. It doesn't always go in straight lines, and generally doesn't have indentations (or valleys) in the so called scratchy look. Now I'm writing this on the fly, so I haven't cross-checked exactly the way I've written it to make sure that my words are 100% spot on for anyone who has experience to say I'm saying this right or wrong, but I think from one person who started looking at these and trying to recognize valuable errors vs. pmd, etc. about 7-8 years ago, I think it just gets the idea across.

One of the things you might do is pick up a box or two of cents (at 25.00 a box) and start going through those. Lincoln cents have enough small die cracks, etc on them so you should get a few that you notice enough to say it is that instead of scratching. Look at the Lincoln memorial on the reverse to the lower right as it goes to the rim.... many times there will be a small die crack running from that corner to the edge. Also, look at Lincoln's hair and hairlines, they pop up there at times, too (as well as other areas). Perhaps you will get lucky and get a WAM or CAM or Doubled Die coin along with looking to see the die cracks.

And a cud, basically is a die crack that is on the rim and has, many times, broken off. Just as a general idea.

 

Let us not forget early stage die cracks either. These appear as a scratch most times. I see a lot of these on the new shield cent along the top left and right of the shield on these cents. They are not raised as with a regular die crack. And pre die crack impressions which appear to the eye as an indentation. When finding these in B.U. boxes it reminds me to be especially careful to look for the bigger die cracks that result from these, not to mention also that die chips are also sometimes found in die crack areas. It's easy to overlook a potential die crack in an area of the coin at hard to see angles (such as the left shoulder on the reverse of the 2009P Formative Lincolns) but the die chip can be a sign to look closer.

 

Then fix it! That's the beauty of Wikipedia. The numismatics section is rather neglected, but all it would take would be someone with a little time and knowledge to make it better.

 

Jason, that is also the biggest drawback to Wiki! Anyone can enter whatever they wish, and there are no checks & balances. A perfect example is the VAMWorld site. Anyone can add their own photos and comments to a page, no matter how bad the photos or information is, just so they can "get their name in the news".

Chris

 

A rim to rim crack is just that, a crack. When the design inside the cracked area begins to show a shift in the design it becomes a retained cud. When it breaks off completely it is a cud. Cuds are only on the rim or attached to the rim. Missing areas on the interior of the coin are chips. If the chips have cracks running through them and become more exaggerated this becomes an interior die break. You can find lots of these on the head of Lincoln on cents.
Most important thing to remember is please don't get your info from Wikipedia. This info can be wrong and quite often is.
HH
enamel7