RCD-5c-1867-10 Retained Cud

Description

The tenth retained cud documented for the 1867 Shield Nickel No Rays, the RCD-5c-1867-10 represents the highest-numbered retained cud in the cataloged sequence for this date — a count that speaks to the systematic examination of surviving Shield Nickel specimens by die variety specialists. Ten retained cuds from a single year of a nineteen-century nickel series is a remarkable population, suggesting that the Philadelphia Mint's experience with copper-nickel die life was still developing during these early production years. Each retained cud captures a unique moment of die failure: the precise location of the rim fracture, the angle at which the fragment remains attached, and the degree of design distortion all vary from specimen to specimen, making each catalog entry a distinct record of metallurgical stress. The Shield Nickel's design — with its prominent shield on the obverse and large numeral 5 surrounded by stars on the No Rays reverse — creates specific stress patterns in the die, and the locations of these ten retained cuds collectively map the failure-prone zones of the 1867 die design. Attributed by Cuds on Coins, this variety completes the known retained cud roster for the date and documents the terminal stages of die deterioration on America's post-Civil War nickel coinage.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References