1868 Shield Nickel - RCD-5c-1868-02 Retained Cud

Description

The RCD-5c-1868-02 documents a retained cud on the 1868 Shield Nickel, the third year of production for James B. Longacre's shield design. Retained cuds form when a die fractures at the rim and the broken fragment comes completely free but is held in place by the collar and clamping pressure, producing coins that show the crack outline as a raised line with the design still present within the break zone. This distinguishes them from full cuds, where the separated fragment falls away and leaves a raised area with no design at all. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety appears on the No Rays reverse that became standard beginning in 1867. Shield Nickels from the late 1860s were struck during the post-Civil War era when the nickel five-cent piece was still establishing itself alongside the obsolete half dime, and die varieties from this period reflect the production challenges of an expanding national coinage system. The retained cud on this 1868 issue provides collectors with tangible evidence of die deterioration in the early years of nickel coinage.

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