1867 Shield Nickel - No Rays - RCD-5c-1867-19R Retained Cud

Description

Cataloged for the 1867 Shield Nickel No Rays variety, RCD-5c-1867-19R records an advanced die break where a section of the die rim has cracked completely free of the die body but is held in place. The Cuds on Coins attribution service documented this variety using their standard nomenclature: RCD for retained cud, 5c for the five-cent denomination, 1867 for the date, and 19R as the catalog number, R for the reverse. James B. Longacre's Shield nickel underwent its first design modification in 1867 when the rays between the reverse stars were removed after only one year of production — the With Rays design of 1866 had caused severe die wear, and the No Rays revision reduced the opposing high-relief elements that had stressed the coining equipment. Philadelphia struck approximately 28.89 million No Rays Shield nickels in 1867, a substantial production run for the still-new denomination. Retained cuds represent a more advanced stage of die failure than pre-cuds: the die steel has not merely cracked but has broken completely free, creating a displaced area that produces a raised, irregularly shaped mass on the struck coin. The metal in this retained section still receives the full impression of the loose die piece, but at an altered height or angle, creating a distinctive raised area whose design sits above or out of line with the surrounding field. Collectors can identify retained cuds by the characteristic raised area at the rim that still shows its design, rather than the plain, design-free surface of a cud whose piece has fallen out.

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