RCD-1c-1909-15R Retained Cud

Description

Fifteenth reverse retained cud cataloged for the 1909 Lincoln wheat cent VDB variety, RCD-1c-1909-15R documents yet another die rim failure on what remains the most historically significant issue in the entire Lincoln cent series. The 1909 VDB cent — bearing Victor David Brenner's initials prominently at the base of the reverse between the wheat ears — sparked immediate public controversy when released on August 2, 1909. Critics objected to the perceived advertisement of the designer's name, and the Mint removed the initials after approximately 27.99 million VDB cents had been struck at Philadelphia. This episode made the 1909 VDB cent an instant collectible and one of the most recognized coins in American numismatics. Fifteen reverse retained cuds for this issue indicates substantial die rim failure activity during the brief VDB production run, though the number may also reflect the intensive scrutiny that collectors and researchers have applied to this famous date over more than a century. A retained cud forms when a segment of the die rim fractures under striking stress but remains partially connected to the die body, producing a raised or flat disturbance on the coin's rim where the displaced die fragment alters metal flow during striking. The wheat ears reverse — Brenner's own design featuring paired grain stalks flanking ONE CENT and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM — carries the VDB initials at the six o'clock position near the rim, and retained cuds in this area may directly affect the visibility of the famous initials. The debut of the Lincoln cent in 1909 introduced an entirely new design format that required new die preparations and coining procedures, and the adjustment period may have contributed to die rim failures during the initial production runs. Cataloged by the Cuds on Coins service, this variety carries no independent cross-references.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: none. 05/22/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References