RCD-1c-1951S-02R Retained Cud

Description

Second reverse retained cud documented for the 1951-S Lincoln wheat cent, RCD-1c-1951S-02R records a die rim fracture at the San Francisco Mint during the post-war era of wheat cent production. San Francisco struck approximately 136.0 million cents in 1951, maintaining steady production in what would prove to be the penultimate decade of the wheat ears reverse design before Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial replaced it in 1959. This variety carries the cross-reference LC-51S-1R Ret, linking it to a parallel Lincoln cent die break cataloging system that documented the same variety as the first retained die break for the 1951-S issue. The difference in numbering — 02R in the Cuds on Coins system versus 1R in the LC system — likely reflects different inclusion criteria or sequencing methodologies between the two attribution frameworks, but both systems confirm the same physical die event. Victor David Brenner's wheat ears reverse design was approaching its forty-second year of production by 1951, and the post-war period saw consistent mintage volumes that required steady die consumption across all three active mints. A retained cud on the reverse indicates the die rim developed a crack under the repeated stress of striking bronze planchets, but the fractured section maintained its position within the die body rather than separating completely. The cross-referenced LC-51S-1R Ret designation provides collectors with a valuable confirmation pathway — consulting both attribution systems for the same variety increases confidence in the identification. Collectors should examine the reverse rim under 10-15x magnification for the characteristic raised or shelf-like disturbance that distinguishes a retained cud from post-strike rim damage, paying particular attention to the consistency of the anomaly's appearance, which should replicate across multiple specimens struck from the same die.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: LC-51S-1R Ret.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References