1941 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - RCD-1c-1941S-07R Retained Cud

Description

Cross-referenced as JCc-41S_135 in the James Casanova catalog and LC-41S-19 RET in the Lincoln Cent variety reference, this seventh reverse retained cud on the 1941 San Francisco Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent preserves a die rim fracture where the broken segment came loose but was held in place during continued striking. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with a documentation date of September 1, 2013, RCD-1c-1941S-07R demonstrates the intermediate stage of die failure between a simple rim crack and a full cud — the fractured piece has broken free but not fallen out, producing a raised area on struck coins that keeps its design rather than the blank mass characteristic of a cud whose piece is lost. The 1941-S cent was produced at the San Francisco Mint during the final year before America's entry into World War II, a period when cent production had not yet shifted to the wartime shell-case copper composition adopted in 1944. San Francisco's role as a secondary mint facility meant smaller production runs than Philadelphia, but the 1941-S still achieved substantial mintage numbers. Seven documented reverse retained cuds from this date and mint combination indicates meaningful die rim stress patterns across multiple die pairs, consistent with the mechanical demands of high-volume coining operations. The dual cross-reference system — linking the Casanova index number to the Lincoln Cent reference — provides collectors with multiple attribution pathways for verification. Retained cuds on Wheat Cents from the early 1940s occupy a collecting niche that bridges pre-war and wartime numismatics, offering variety hunters material from an era of significant national transition.

Cross References

• Cross reference: JCc-41S_135, LC-41S-19 RET. 09/01/2013.

External References