RCD-1c-1906-03R Retained Cud

Description

Third reverse retained cud documented for the 1906 Indian Head Cent, this variety records a die rim fracture on one of the later dates in James Barton Longacre's iconic small cent design that ran from 1859 through 1909. The Indian Head Cent — which actually depicts Liberty wearing a Native American feathered headdress rather than an indigenous person — was the predominant one-cent piece for half a century before Victor David Brenner's Lincoln Cent replaced it in 1909. A retained cud on the 1906 issue captures a die failure where the rim fractured but the broken section remained in place, producing coins with a cracked, distorted rim area that preserves partial design detail from the reverse wreath and shield design. Three retained cuds for 1906 indicates that multiple reverse dies experienced rim failure during the year's production at the Philadelphia Mint — the only facility striking Indian Head Cents, as San Francisco and Denver did not produce cents until the Lincoln design era. The "R" suffix designates the reverse die location, where the oak wreath and shield design concentrated striking forces at the rim. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with the notation that no cross-references are known in other attribution systems, RCD-1c-1906-03R occupies a unique position in the die variety landscape of a series where retained cuds are documented far less frequently than on the succeeding Lincoln Cent. Late-date Indian Head Cents from 1900-1909 are popular with collectors who value the design's approaching obsolescence.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Poliquin on ebay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References