1869 Shield Nickel - RCD-5c-1869-05 Retained Cud

Description

RCD-5c-1869-05 is a retained cud documented for 1869 in the Cuds on Coins catalog. Like its 1868 counterparts, this variety records a die break at the rim where the fractured piece of die steel broke free but was held in place rather than falling out, but it comes from a different production year and therefore a different set of working dies with their own unique failure characteristics. The 1869 Shield Nickel mintage of 16,395,000 at the Philadelphia Mint represents a healthy production run, and the sustained volume of striking contributed to die fatigue that manifested as rim cracks. Retained cuds from consecutive years in the same series allow die-state researchers to compare failure patterns across production periods — the 1869 dies were sunk from the same hubs as 1868 but represent fresh steel subjected to a new year's production demands. Struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel at 5.0 grams, bearing James B. Longacre's obverse shield and reverse wreath with the large numeral 5. The Reconstruction-era Shield Nickel series ran from 1866 to 1883. The catalog code reads RCD (retained cud), 5c (denomination), 1869 (year), and 05 (sequence). Look for the retained fracture line extending from the rim inward with an adjacent zone of altered design detail.

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