RCD-1c-1909-09R Retained Cud

Description

Ninth documented retained cud on the reverse of a 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety carries the weight of one of the most historically significant dates in American numismatics. The 1909 VDB was the inaugural Lincoln Cent — the first regular-issue United States coin to bear the portrait of a real person — and the "VDB" initials of designer Victor David Brenner on the reverse sparked immediate public controversy, leading the Mint to remove them after only a few days of production. A retained cud forms when a section of the die rim fractures but the broken piece remains attached rather than separating, producing a cracked and raised area that preserves distorted design detail. The "R" suffix indicates this fracture occurred on the reverse die, where Brenner's wheat ears design would have been affected. Nine reverse retained cuds documented for the 1909 VDB reflect the enormous collector attention this date has received for over a century. Every specimen is scrutinized not only for its VDB attribution but for any die anomaly that adds further distinction. RCD-1c-1909-09R is cataloged by Cuds on Coins. The intersection of a landmark first-year-of-issue with a die failure variety makes this retained cud a compelling example of how numismatic significance amplifies interest in die varieties.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Cross reference: none. 12/09/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References