RCD-1c-1953S-04R Retained Cud

Description

Fourth reverse retained cud recorded for the 1953-S Lincoln wheat cent, RCD-1c-1953S-04R documents a die rim failure from San Francisco's mid-1950s cent production — a period when the wheat reverse was entering its final years before retirement. San Francisco produced approximately 181.8 million cents in 1953, maintaining its role as the third coining facility alongside Philadelphia and Denver during the mature phase of the wheat cent era. The retained cud designation indicates that a segment of the reverse die rim cracked under the cyclic stresses of high-speed striking but remained partially attached to the die body. This partial attachment distinguishes retained cuds from full cuds, where the broken segment detaches completely, and from pre-cuds, where the crack exists but no displacement has occurred. On coins struck from a retained cud die, the affected rim area shows a flat, raised, or slightly displaced zone where the fractured die segment could not deliver full striking pressure — the metal flows differently where the die surface is compromised, leaving a distinctive shelf-like anomaly. Brenner's wheat ears reverse design places paired grain stalks close to the rim, and the fine parallel lines of the wheat grains serve as sensitive indicators of rim-area die damage because even small fracture-induced displacements disrupt the regular line spacing. With four reverse retained cuds documented for the 1953-S, this date shows a moderate level of die rim failure consistent with the standard bronze composition's interaction with Philadelphia-manufactured working dies shipped to San Francisco. Cataloged by the Cuds on Coins service, this variety carries no cross-references to other attribution systems. Collectors should examine the reverse rim for the characteristic flat or shelf-like disturbance that repeats consistently on all coins struck from the affected die.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: none. 12/15/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References