RCD-1c-1930D-01R Retained Cud

Description

Cross-referenced under the Lincoln Cent die break catalog as LC-30-2R-RET, this retained cud on a 1930 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent preserves a reverse die rim fracture where the broken section stayed partially attached to the die rather than separating completely. In a full cud, the rim fragment breaks away entirely, leaving a cavity in the die that fills with metal during striking to produce a raised featureless mass on the coin. A retained cud captures the intermediate stage — the fracture exists, and the broken area may be slightly displaced, but it remains connected enough to retain some design detail in the affected zone. The RCD prefix designates retained cud in the Cuds on Coins catalog, with -01R indicating this is the first documented retained cud on the reverse for the 1930-D date. The 1930-D Lincoln Wheat Cent is a key date in the series, with a mintage of only 40.1 million pieces — relatively low for a Denver Mint cent of the era. This Depression-era production level means fewer dies were required and fewer total coins struck, making die varieties from 1930-D scarcer in absolute terms than those from higher-mintage years. Victor David Brenner's Wheat Ears reverse, introduced in 1909, was in its twenty-first year of production when this die developed its rim fracture.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference number: LC-30-2R-RET. Cross reference number: none. 07/22/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References