RCD-100c-1891O-01 Retained Cud

Description

Sole retained cud documented for the 1891-O Morgan dollar, RCD-100c-1891O-01 records a die rim fracture on a New Orleans Mint silver dollar die, cross-referenced as M$C-18910-1R-RET in the complementary Morgan Dollar attribution system. The catalog designation parses as RCD for retained cud, 100c for the dollar denomination (100 cents), 1891O for the New Orleans issue, and 01 marking this as the first and only cataloged retained cud for the date. The New Orleans Mint struck approximately 7.95 million Morgan dollars in 1891, a significant production run during the final years of silver dollar coinage under the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. George T. Morgan's design — featuring the Liberty head obverse and heraldic eagle reverse — required substantial die pressure to fully render the high-relief elements, particularly the eagle's feather detail and the obverse hair curls, and this striking force accelerated die rim deterioration. A retained cud on a silver dollar creates a more visually prominent anomaly than on smaller denominations because the larger coin diameter and greater metal mass amplify the effects of die rim displacement. The cross-reference M$C-18910-1R-RET connects this variety to the Morgan Dollar Collectors' attribution framework, confirming independent verification across two separate cataloging systems. The "1R-RET" suffix in the cross-reference identifies it as the first reverse retained cud in that system's catalog, consistent with the Cuds on Coins 01 numbering. Morgan dollars from New Orleans often exhibit softer strikes than their Philadelphia or San Francisco counterparts due to equipment condition at the aging facility, and die rim failures may have contributed to early die retirement during production runs. Collectors examining potential matches should look for the distinctive flat or raised disturbance along the rim where the fractured die segment disrupted normal metal flow during the striking process.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Heritage Auction
• Cross reference number: M$C-18910-1R-RET.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References