RCD-1c-1952-06R Retained Cud

Description

Sixth reverse retained cud cataloged for the 1952 Philadelphia Lincoln wheat cent, RCD-1c-1952-06R extends the die failure census for this early 1950s date to a level that documents recurring rim fracture events across the production run. Cross-referenced with a documentation date of September 1, 2013, this variety was among the earlier entries in the Cuds on Coins catalog for 1952. Philadelphia struck approximately 186.86 million cents in 1952, a moderate postwar output that generated steady die usage throughout the year. Six documented reverse retained cuds for a single non-steel-composition date represents a meaningful census — while far fewer than the 100+ entries documented for the 1943 steel cent, it demonstrates that the standard bronze composition was not immune to die rim failure under sustained production conditions. The 06R sequence number indicates systematic documentation of multiple die failures, each representing an independent die that experienced rim fracture while remaining in service. Retained cuds produce their characteristic raised displacement when the fractured but attached die section shifts slightly under striking pressure, creating a detectable rim anomaly bounded by the crack trajectory line. The reverse placement positions each of these failures on Victor David Brenner's wheat stalks design, where the rim area adjacent to ONE CENT, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA bore the structural consequences of repeated striking. By 1952, the wheat cent was in its forty-fourth year of production, and the coining presses at Philadelphia operated with well-established die management protocols — yet die rim failures remained a statistically regular occurrence that the Cuds on Coins attribution project has comprehensively documented across multiple dates and mints.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: none. 09/01/2013.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References