PC-1c-1909-17R Pre-Cud

Description

Seventeenth reverse pre-cud cataloged for the iconic 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent, PC-1c-1909-17R documents a die rim crack on the reverse that had not yet progressed to a full cud separation. A reverse die crack — identified by the "white arrow" notation in the Cuds on Coins catalog — traces a visible fracture line across the wheat ears reverse designed by Victor David Brenner. Pre-cuds represent a critical intermediate phase in die failure mechanics: the rim has fractured under repeated striking stress, creating a crack that propagates inward from the edge, but the broken section has not yet separated from the die face. Had production continued with this die, the crack would have widened until the fragment detached entirely, leaving the cavity that fills with metal during striking to produce the raised featureless mass characteristic of a full cud. The 1909 VDB holds singular importance in American numismatics as the inaugural Lincoln Cent — the first circulating U.S. coin to bear the portrait of a real historical figure — and the "V.D.B." initials on the reverse sparked immediate public backlash that led to their removal after only days of production. Seventeen reverse pre-cuds documented for this date reflect more than a century of intensive examination by collectors drawn to this landmark issue. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety preserves evidence of die fatigue during the earliest production runs of what would become America's longest-running coin design.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Cross reference: none. 08/27/2025.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References