RCD-5c-1868-05 Retained Cud

Description

Sequence number five in the 1868 Shield Nickel retained cud catalog, RCD-5c-1868-05 records another instance of a rim die break where the cracked fragment stayed attached to the working die rather than fracturing away completely. Retained cuds are valued by die-state researchers because they capture a moment in the progressive failure of a die — the steel has cracked from the rim inward under cumulative striking pressure, yet the broken section clings to the die body, producing coins that show evidence of the fracture without the total design obliteration of a full cud. Each retained cud in the 1868 sequence — from RCD-04 through RCD-06 — documents a different working die that developed its own unique rim failure, varying in crack location, extent, and degree of design distortion. The Shield Nickel's hard nickel alloy was notoriously demanding on dies, and the 1868 Philadelphia Mint production generated enough die failures to populate multiple catalog entries. Struck at 5.0 grams in 75% copper and 25% nickel, this coin bears James B. Longacre's post-Civil War design. The catalog code reads RCD (retained cud), 5c (denomination), 1868 (year), and 05 (sequence). Look for the retained fracture line and the associated zone of altered design detail near the rim.

Attribution History

• Discovered by davids5601 on ebay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References