RCD-2c-1864-04R Retained Cud

Description

Fourth in the reverse retained cud census for the 1864 Two Cent Piece, RCD-2c-1864-04R was cataloged by the Cuds on Coins attribution service on the Large Motto variety of this historically significant denomination. The two cent piece, designed by James B. Longacre, holds the distinction of being the first United States coin to bear the motto IN GOD WE TRUST — introduced in 1864 amid the religious sentiment and patriotic fervor of the Civil War. The 1864 Large Motto variety, with its more prominent and widely spaced lettering of the motto compared to the scarcer Small Motto variety, represents the bulk of the approximately 19.85 million two cent pieces struck at Philadelphia that year. As the inaugural year of the denomination, 1864 two cent pieces document the Mint's first experience with producing this particular coin format, and die failures during early production runs often reflect the learning curve associated with a new design profile. The retained cud on the reverse places the die failure on the side bearing Longacre's wheat wreath encircling the denomination "2 CENTS," where a rim-connected crack developed and the fractured die section remained partially attached, deflecting under striking pressure to create a raised, shelf-like displacement on the coin surface. Two cent pieces are substantially larger and thicker than contemporary cents, requiring greater striking force and subjecting dies to correspondingly higher mechanical stresses. Collectors examining two cent pieces for retained cuds should scrutinize the reverse rim under magnification, looking for areas where the normally sharp rim-to-design transition shows a raised disturbance with faint underlying design detail visible beneath the displaced metal — a diagnostic signature distinguishing retained cuds from post-strike damage or environmental corrosion.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References