RCD-1c-1909-14R Retained Cud

Description

Fourteenth reverse retained cud documented for the 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety extends the substantial die failure catalog for the coin that introduced Abraham Lincoln's portrait to American coinage. The 1909 VDB is the inaugural Lincoln Cent, designed by sculptor Victor David Brenner at the request of President Theodore Roosevelt, and the "VDB" initials on the reverse caused such public uproar that the Mint removed them after only a brief production run — creating an enduring numismatic icon. A retained cud preserves the intermediate stage of die rim failure: the rim section has cracked but remains in place, producing a raised, distorted area with partial design detail rather than the featureless mass of a full cud. Fourteen reverse retained cuds from the 1909 VDB is a substantial count, reflecting over a century of intensive examination by collectors and researchers drawn to this landmark date. The "R" suffix confirms the fracture occurred on the reverse die, where the wheat ears design — soon to lose its VDB initials — displayed the damage. RCD-1c-1909-14R is cataloged by Cuds on Coins. The convergence of extreme numismatic significance with multiple die variety categories makes the 1909 VDB one of the most multi-dimensionally interesting dates in the entire Lincoln Cent series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Cross reference: none. 04/26/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References