1944 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - RCD-1c-1944S-01R Retained Cud

Description

Marking the return to a copper-based composition after the steel cent experiment of 1943, RCD-1c-1944S-01R is the first retained cud documented by Cuds on Coins for the 1944 San Francisco Lincoln Wheat Cent. The 1944 cent introduced a new twist on the bronze tradition: instead of freshly refined copper, the Mint recycled spent brass shell casings from military munitions, creating a composition of 95% copper and 5% zinc with no tin. This recycled brass could carry trace impurities from its prior life as ammunition cartridges, subtly altering how the metal interacted with dies during striking. A retained cud arises when a piece of the die fractures at the rim and stays captured in the die recess, stamping a raised, irregular formation onto each subsequent coin. As the first documented retained cud for the 1944-S issue, this variety holds a special position as the inaugural recorded die break for the first year of the wartime shell-case alloy. Collectors value the 1944-S shell case cents for their historical narrative and the metallurgical curiosity of coins forged from recycled munitions.

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