1869 Indian Head Cent Retained Cud (3 to 4:30)

Description

A retained cud is visible on this 1869 Indian Head cent. A retained cud occurs when a piece of the die breaks away at the rim but remains partially attached, creating an irregular raised area that continues to strike coins. In this case, two die cracks leave the rim at 3 o'clock — one running north through the wreath and the retained cud running south through the wreath to approximately 4:30. Additionally, separation can be seen on the lower rim and denticles, showing this has progressed passed the pre-cud stage. The 1869 Indian Head cent is a semi-key date with a mintage of just 6.4 million pieces, making it one of the scarcer business-strike issues in the series.