RCD-1c-1934D-04R Retained Cud

Description

Denver's Depression-era cent production left behind a telling record of die stress, and RCD-1c-1934D-04R preserves the fourth retained cud cataloged for the 1934-D Lincoln Wheat Cent. Mintages at the Denver facility dropped sharply during the early 1930s as the Great Depression suppressed demand, but by 1934 production was climbing again as economic recovery slowly took hold. A retained cud forms when a fatigue crack propagates to the rim, causing a wedge-shaped fragment to fracture partially free while remaining mechanically lodged. Each subsequent strike impresses the trapped fragment's irregular shape onto the planchet as a raised mass overlaying the normal rim design. The D mintmark ties this variety to the Denver Mint, operating since 1906. Struck in 95% copper, 5% tin-and-zinc, this coin carries the raised blob characteristic of a retained cud alongside Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the variety documents a die failure from a period when every working die was pressed into extended service.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jon Sullivan
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References