RCD-1c-1909-11R Retained Cud

Description

Eleventh reverse retained cud for the 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety deepens the die failure documentation for the coin that launched the Lincoln Cent series — the first circulating United States coin to depict a real historical figure. Designer Victor David Brenner's initials "V.D.B." appeared prominently on the reverse at the base of the wheat ears, generating public backlash that led the Mint to remove them after only days of production. This brief initial run created one of the most iconic dates in numismatics, and every aspect of the 1909 VDB has been examined with extraordinary intensity for over a century. A retained cud captures the stage of die rim failure where the fractured section stays in place rather than separating — producing a cracked, raised area with distorted but visible design detail. Eleven reverse retained cuds from the 1909 VDB indicates that multiple reverse dies developed rim fractures during the short production window, possibly influenced by the urgency of initial production runs for the new design. The "R" suffix confirms the reverse die location. RCD-1c-1909-11R is cataloged by Cuds on Coins. Each retained cud on the 1909 VDB adds another dimension to the already rich collecting landscape surrounding this historically significant first-year issue.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Cross reference: none. 02/04/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References