1941 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - RCD-1c-1941S-08R Retained Cud

Description

Eighth in the reverse retained cud series for the 1941-S Lincoln wheat cent, RCD-1c-1941S-08R records a die rim failure from San Francisco's last full year of peacetime cent production. The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 would transform American industry and, with it, the nation's coinage — the 1942 cent continued in bronze, but 1943 brought the dramatic shift to zinc-coated steel, followed by recycled shell casing brass in 1944-1946. San Francisco's 1941 cent production of approximately 92.4 million pieces used the standard bronze composition, producing the warm copper-toned coins that collectors value for their connection to the final months before wartime production changes. A retained cud documents a die rim section that cracked and broke free but was held in place, creating a diagnostic area near the rim where struck coins show a raised or shelf-like plateau that still carries its design. This distinguishes retained cuds from full cuds, where the lost fragment leaves a raised mass with no design at all on the coin. Eight reverse retained cuds for the 1941-S places this date's die failure record in the moderate range — well below the extraordinary numbers seen on 1943 steel cents but consistent with the normal attrition patterns of a production run consuming multiple die pairs. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no cross-references, RCD-1c-1941S-08R contributes to the pre-war wheat cent die failure record that provides baseline comparison data for understanding how the 1943 composition change amplified die deterioration. Examination under 10x magnification with side lighting along the reverse rim will reveal the elevation transition or step that marks the retained fracture, and the specific rim position identifies this as the eighth documented retained cud for the date.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 04/22/2019.

External References