RCD-5c-1867-04 Retained Cud

Description

Fourth in the retained cud sequence for the 1867 Shield Nickel, RCD-5c-1867-04 was struck at Philadelphia on the No Rays sub-type and documented by Cuds on Coins. The removal of the reverse rays mid-year produced a cleaner die design reducing some of the extreme wear experienced with the original configuration, though the copper-nickel composition of 75% copper and 25% nickel continued imposing significant stress on working dies. A retained cud captures a die at the terminal stage — cracked to the rim with a fragment that has broken partially free yet remains lodged, producing a raised amorphous mass on each subsequent strike. The Shield Nickel's bold, high-relief design elements amplified die deterioration effects, making cud varieties particularly dramatic on this denomination. Four retained cuds for the 1867 No Rays type reflects the die attrition inherent in working with copper-nickel planchets during the earliest years of the alloy's use in American coinage. For Shield Nickel specialists, retained cuds from the pivotal 1867 transition year offer tangible evidence of the manufacturing challenges accompanying both the new alloy and the mid-production design revision.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References