1867 Shield Nickel - No Rays - RCD-5c-1867-05 Retained Cud

Description

RCD-5c-1867-05, a retained cud on the 1867 Shield Nickel without Rays, records a die rim failure from the transitional year when James B. Longacre's reverse design was permanently modified. The original 1866 Shield Nickel featured prominent rays radiating between the stars on the reverse, but these rays created stress concentrations that shortened die life dramatically — a problem severe enough that the Mint removed them early in 1867, producing both With Rays and Without Rays varieties for the year. This retained cud comes from the No Rays configuration, indicating the die failure occurred after the design modification that was supposed to improve die longevity. A retained cud forms when a rim crack isolates a fragment that stays wedged in the die, impressing a raised irregular mass on coins rather than the featureless plateau of a detached cud. The Shield Nickel obverse displays the Union shield symbolizing post-Civil War reunification. Struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel at 5.0 grams at the Philadelphia Mint. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins. Examine the rim for the raised mass marking this retained fracture on the rayless reverse.

External References