1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent - RCD-1c-1942-01 Retained Cud

Description

Documented by Cuds on Coins as RCD-1c-1942-01, this retained cud on the 1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent records a terminal die failure at the Philadelphia Mint during the final year of standard bronze composition before wartime changes. A retained cud forms when a die crack reaches the rim and a wedge-shaped fragment breaks completely free but stays mechanically captured, held in place, usually by the collar — unlike a full cud where the piece falls away entirely. The lodged fragment continues to impress a raised, irregular area onto each subsequent planchet, carrying the underlying design up with it. The 1942 Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck in standard 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc bronze that had served the denomination since 1909. By 1943, wartime demands for copper forced the Mint to switch to zinc-coated steel, making 1942 the last regular bronze cent until the recycled brass composition of 1944. This transitional status adds historical significance, documenting die behavior during the final months of uninterrupted bronze cent production before World War II reshaped American coinage.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 01/20/22.

External References