1866 Shield Nickel - Rays - RCD-5c-1866-05 Retained Cud

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins for the inaugural year of the Shield Nickel, RCD-5c-1866-05 records a die failure on the 1866 Shield Nickel with Rays — the first base-metal five-cent coin in United States history. A retained cud occurs when a die crack at the rim penetrates deeply enough to free a fragment of die metal entirely, but the loose fragment stays lodged in place rather than falling out. The result is a raised, slightly irregular area on struck coins that still carries its design, distinguishing it from a full cud's plain, design-free plateau. The 1866 Rays variety is particularly susceptible to die breakage because the distinctive rays radiating between the stars on the reverse created stress concentration points in the die — a design flaw recognized by the Mint, which removed the rays partway through 1867 to extend die life. Designed by James B. Longacre, the obverse displays the Union shield symbolizing national unity during Reconstruction, while the reverse features a bold numeral 5 encircled by stars with the short-lived rays. Struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel at 5.0 grams at the Philadelphia Mint. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as RCD (retained cud), 5c (nickel), 1866 (year), 05 (catalog number). Examine the rim for the raised irregular mass marking the retained fracture.

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