RCD-1c-1909-05R Retained Cud

Description

Fifth reverse retained cud documented for the 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety adds to the die failure record for the most famous first-year coin in American numismatics. When sculptor Victor David Brenner's Lincoln Cent debuted in August 1909, the prominent "V.D.B." initials on the reverse drew public complaints about self-promotion, and the Mint removed them after brief production — creating one of the most recognized dates in the hobby. A retained cud represents an intermediate stage of die rim failure: the rim has fractured, but the broken section remains in place rather than separating. The struck coin displays a raised, cracked area at the rim with distorted but visible design detail, different from a full cud where the separated fragment leaves a featureless metal blob. The "R" suffix confirms this fracture occurred on the reverse die, affecting the wheat ears design that would remain in service for the next forty-nine years. Five reverse retained cuds documented for the 1909 VDB suggests that die rim stress was not uncommon during the production of this new design, potentially related to the break-in of unfamiliar die configurations. RCD-1c-1909-05R is cataloged by Cuds on Coins. The 1909 VDB remains one of the most intensely collected and examined dates in all of numismatics.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Cross reference: none. 05/20/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References