1948 Lincoln Wheat Cent - RCD-1c-1948-02R Retained Cud

Description

Second documented retained cud on the reverse of a 1948 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, RCD-1c-1948-02R preserves evidence of a die rim fracture where the broken section came free of the die but was held in place during continued striking. The "R" suffix identifies the reverse die as the fracture location, meaning the crack appeared along the rim of Victor David Brenner's iconic wheat ears reverse. In a retained cud, the fractured rim fragment stays in position rather than falling out — producing a raised area on the struck coin that still carries the wheat stalks or lettering in the affected zone, sometimes set out of line. This contrasts with a full cud where the fragment falls out, leaving a die cavity that fills with plain metal during striking. The 1948 Philadelphia Wheat Cent was produced during the immediate postwar period when cent production had returned to peacetime alloy composition after the wartime zinc-coated steel cents of 1943 and the shell case copper cents of 1944-1946. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety carries no established cross-references to other attribution services. Two reverse retained cuds from a single Philadelphia date suggests that rim stress on the reverse dies was a recurring issue for 1948 production, potentially related to specific die hardening practices or press settings used that year. Retained cuds occupy an important position in die variety research because they document the intermediate stage of die failure between initial cracking and complete separation, offering insight into the progressive nature of die deterioration under production pressures.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. Cross reference: none. 11/07/2018.

External References