RCD-2c-1867-01 Retained Cud

Description

First retained cud variety documented for the 1867 Two Cent Piece by Cuds on Coins, RCD-2c-1867-01 captures a die rim failure on one of the shortest-lived denominations in United States coinage history. The Two Cent Piece, designed by James B. Longacre and produced from 1864 through 1873, holds the distinction of being the first U.S. coin to bear the motto IN GOD WE TRUST — a phrase that would eventually appear on all American coinage. Philadelphia struck approximately 2.94 million Two Cent Pieces in 1867, a steep decline from the denomination's peak production of 19.85 million in 1864 that reflected waning public demand for the coin as the Civil War-era hoarding that had prompted its creation subsided. The retained cud condition indicates a die rim fracture where the broken segment remained attached to the die body, producing a raised but still partially detailed area on struck coins — a transitional failure state between a simple die crack and a full cud where the fragment has completely separated. No cross-references from other attribution services have been documented. Longacre's design features a shield on the obverse surrounded by the motto and a wreath with the denomination on the reverse, both rendered in relatively high relief that created stress on the die rims during striking. The bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) required less striking force than the nickel alloy used for contemporary Shield nickels, yet die rim failures still occurred with regularity. Collectors interested in Two Cent Piece varieties will find retained cuds among the most visually accessible anomalies, identifiable under low magnification by the characteristic combination of rim elevation and residual design impression that distinguishes the retained cud from post-strike rim damage.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References