RCD-5c-1867-13 Retained Cud

Description

There is a certain irony to finding a retained cud on the 1867 Shield Nickel with the No Rays reverse, since the rays behind the stars on the original 1866 design were removed specifically because they were blamed for accelerating die breakage. Despite the redesign intended to improve die longevity, this thirteenth documented retained cud for the 1867 date proves that die fractures remained a persistent issue. The Shield Nickel was the first nickel five-cent piece in American coinage, and the 1867 No Rays version represents the second year and second design variant of this denomination. A retained cud forms when a section of the die rim fractures but remains partially attached, producing a raised distorted area rather than a clean featureless blob. The high sequence number reflects extensive die break documentation for this date. RCD-5c-1867-13 is cataloged in the Cuds on Coins reference system and was struck at the Philadelphia Mint. No additional cross-references have been recorded. This variety was documented by the Cuds on Coins reference.

Attribution History

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

External References