RCD-1c-1909-02R Retained Cud

Description

Second reverse retained cud documented for the inaugural 1909 Lincoln wheat cent VDB variety, RCD-1c-1909-02R was cataloged by the Cuds on Coins attribution service on one of the most historically significant dates in the cent series. The 1909 VDB cent — bearing Victor David Brenner's initials on the reverse between the wheat ear bases — was produced for only a brief period at Philadelphia before public controversy over the prominent placement of the designer's initials prompted the Mint to remove them, yielding a total mintage of approximately 27.99 million pieces. Any die variety on the 1909 VDB carries inherent collecting interest that transcends the variety itself, combining first-year-of-issue significance, the VDB controversy narrative, and die failure documentation. The retained cud on the reverse places the die fracture on the side bearing the very initials that caused the design modification — the wheat ears, E PLURIBUS UNUM, ONE CENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and the V.D.B. at the base all occupy the reverse die surface where this rim-connected crack developed. Retained cuds capture a moment in the die's deterioration when a crack has advanced far enough to partially displace the broken section but not far enough for complete separation. On struck coins, this manifests as a raised, shelf-like bulge connected to the rim, with underlying design elements visible as ghostly impressions beneath the displaced metal. The 02R designation as only the second cataloged reverse retained cud suggests either conservative documentation or genuinely limited occurrence for this specific die failure mode on the 1909 VDB issue. Collectors of this key date should examine the reverse rim under magnification, recognizing that the combination of variety status and first-year provenance makes confirmed specimens particularly desirable.

Attribution History

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

External References