RCD-5c-1869-04 Retained Cud

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the RCD-5c-1869-04 is a retained cud variety found on the 1869 Shield Nickel — the fourth year of production for this post-Civil War denomination. Retained cuds occur when a rim die fracture produces a broken section that remains held in position during coining, creating a raised outline of the crack on struck coins while partially preserving the original design within the break zone. The 1869 Shield Nickel was struck exclusively at the Philadelphia Mint, and die varieties from this period document the operating conditions of a mint system still adapting to the nickel alloy five-cent denomination introduced just three years earlier. Shield Nickel die break varieties are collected by specialists who value the series for its historical significance and the relative scarcity of well-documented die varieties compared to later nickel series. Examination of the rim area under magnification reveals the raised crack pattern where the die fragment remained attached, distinguishing this retained cud from full cuds where the fragment separates completely and leaves a featureless raised blob.

Attribution History

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

External References