1987 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - RCD-1c-1987-01 Retained Cud

Description

Cataloged as RCD-1c-1987-01 by Cuds on Coins, this retained cud variety on the 1987 Lincoln Memorial cent documents a die fracture that stopped short of the catastrophic separation seen in full cuds. A retained cud forms when a crack propagates through the die steel at the rim — following the same mechanical pathway that produces a standard cud — and the fractured piece breaks free of the die body but is held in place rather than falling out. The resulting coins display a visible crack line on the surface, often accompanied by a slight elevation or offset of the design on one side of the crack, with that design intact and none of the raised, smooth blob that characterizes a full cud. Retained cuds occupy an intermediate position in the die failure continuum: they are more severe than simple die cracks, which remain as surface fractures without fully bisecting the die wall, but less severe than full cuds where the fragment separates entirely. For die researchers, retained cuds are particularly valuable because they preserve the crack geometry in situ — the fracture pattern, its angular relationship to the rim, and the extent of any displacement can all be measured on the struck coin, providing data about the stress field that caused the fracture. Many retained cuds eventually progress to full cuds if the die continues in service, making early-state retained cud coins documentation of a die in transition.

External References