1935 (D) Lincoln Wheat Cent - RCD-1c-1935D-02R Retained Cud

Description

Second reverse retained cud cataloged for the 1935-D Lincoln wheat cent, RCD-1c-1935D-02R documents a die rim fracture at the Denver Mint during the mid-1930s recovery from the Great Depression. Denver struck approximately 47.0 million cents in 1935, a production volume that had rebounded from the Depression-era lows but remained well below the levels that would be reached during the war years. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln obverse and wheat ears reverse — at this point a quarter-century old — provided the familiar design framework on standard bronze planchets. A retained cud on the reverse indicates that a section of the die rim cracked under the repetitive mechanical stress of high-speed striking and broke free of the die body, held in place rather than falling out. The "retained" status means the broken segment did not fall away, producing a variety where the struck coin shows a raised, flat, or slightly offset area near the rim that still carries its design — contrasting with a full cud where the lost piece leaves only a raised mass with no design. Die rim fractures develop in response to the cyclic loading that working dies endure: each strike delivers tens of tons of force concentrated across the die face, and the rim — where the design transitions sharply to the collar interface — experiences the highest stress concentrations. With only two reverse retained cuds documented for the 1935-D, this date's die failure record is modest compared to the prolific populations cataloged for higher-mintage dates and the wartime steel cents. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no cross-references, RCD-1c-1935D-02R invites collectors to examine the reverse rim under 10-15x magnification with side lighting, seeking the elevation change or shelf that marks where the retained fracture disrupted normal metal flow during striking.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 03/27/2024.

External References