RCD-5c-1883-02R Retained Cud

Description

Found on the reverse of the 1883 Liberty Head Nickel "With CENTS" variety, RCD-5c-1883-02R documents the second cataloged retained cud for one of nineteenth-century numismatics' most storied issues. The 1883 Liberty Head Nickel designed by Charles E. Barber famously launched without the word CENTS on the reverse, leading to fraud as enterprising individuals gold-plated the nickel-sized coins and passed them as five-dollar gold pieces. The Mint quickly added CENTS to the reverse, creating two distinct 1883 subtypes that remain cornerstones of type collecting. A retained cud on the "With CENTS" reverse affects the design including the Roman numeral V within a wreath, the added CENTS inscription, and E PLURIBUS UNUM — the specific rim location determining which elements are impacted. The retained fragment stayed lodged in the die cavity after fracturing, producing coins bearing the characteristic raised or softened zone. Liberty Head Nickels were struck at Philadelphia only until Denver began production in 1912. Cataloged and verified by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References