RCD-1c-1909-13R Retained Cud

Description

Thirteenth reverse retained cud documented for the 1909 Lincoln wheat cent VDB variety, RCD-1c-1909-13R adds to the substantial die rim failure record for the most celebrated inaugural issue in cent history. The 1909 VDB cent marked three simultaneous firsts: the debut of Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait — the first real historical figure on a regular-issue United States coin — the introduction of the wheat ears reverse design, and the controversial placement of the designer's initials "V.D.B." at the reverse base that triggered immediate public backlash. Philadelphia produced approximately 27.99 million VDB cents before the initials were removed, and this brief but intense production period generated a surprising number of die rim failures — at least 15 reverse retained cuds documented by the Cuds on Coins service. A retained cud forms when die rim steel fractures under the cyclic stress of high-speed striking but the broken segment maintains physical contact with the die body. The partially displaced fragment continues to participate in each strike but cannot deliver full design pressure, creating a flat or raised anomaly on finished coins. The wheat ears reverse, with its paired grain stalks, denomination ONE CENT, motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the distinctive V.D.B. initials at the base, provides the design context where these rim fractures manifest. The debut year of any coin design carries particular interest for die variety specialists because the new die preparation process — creating fresh master dies, working hubs, and working dies for an untested design — sometimes produces more die failures than established, refined production runs for the same design in later years. Thirteen retained cuds at this point in the census, with at least 15 total, confirms that the 1909 VDB reverse dies experienced significant rim failure activity during their brief production window. No cross-references to other attribution systems are recorded.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Cross reference: none. 04/10/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References