RCD-10c-1891-02R Retained Cud

Description

Documenting a reverse die failure on the final year of Christian Gobrecht's Seated Liberty dime design, RCD-10c-1891-02R records the second retained cud identified on the reverse of an 1891 Seated Liberty dime. The catalog code from Cuds on Coins breaks down as: RCD for retained cud, 10c for the dime denomination, 1891 for the date, and 02R indicating this is the second retained cud documented and that it occurs on the reverse. A retained cud represents an advanced stage of die deterioration where rim cracks have outlined a section of die steel that has partially separated from the die body — the fragment remains attached, creating a raised, distorted area on struck coins where the original design is obliterated or displaced within the retained mass. The Seated Liberty dime, produced from 1837 through 1891, features Gobrecht's figure of Liberty seated on a rock, holding a shield and liberty pole, with the reverse displaying a wreath encircling the denomination. Philadelphia struck approximately 15.31 million Seated Liberty dimes in 1891, the series' farewell year before Charles E. Barber's new dime design replaced it in 1892. The final-year production context adds historical dimension to this variety: dies were being consumed during the twilight of a fifty-four-year design era, and this retained cud captures the physical toll of high-volume production on aging die technology. The 90% silver, 10% copper composition of Seated Liberty dimes created softer planchets than nickel-alloy coins, but the smaller diameter concentrated striking force across less die surface area. Examination under 7-10x magnification on the reverse should reveal a raised, irregular area near the rim where the retained fragment disrupted the wreath or inscription design.

Attribution History

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

External References