RCD-100c-1853-01 Retained Cud

Description

Extraordinarily rare as a die failure on a gold coin, RCD-100c-1853-01 documents a retained cud on the 1853 Liberty Head Gold Dollar—a Type I design by James B. Longacre struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Retained cuds form when a rim-area die fragment fractures completely yet remains lodged in the die cavity, continuing to strike coins with a raised, flat, or weakly detailed area at the fracture site. Gold coinage dies operated under fundamentally different production parameters than base metal dies: smaller production runs, softer planchet material, and presumably more attentive quality control, making any significant die failure on a gold coin a remarkable survivor. The "100c" in the catalog number indicates the dollar denomination. The Type I Gold Dollar (1849-1854) was the smallest diameter coin the U.S. Mint ever produced for circulation at just 13mm, and the compact die face concentrated striking forces into a small area. A retained cud on a gold dollar from over 170 years ago represents an exceptional numismatic artifact. Cataloged and verified by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mike Watson with permission from Brad Fravel
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References