RCD-1c-1935-09R Retained Cud

Description

Ninth in the retained cud census for the 1935 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent, RCD-1c-1935-09R records a die fracture from the mid-Depression era when the economy was beginning a fragile recovery. Philadelphia, the original U.S. Mint in continuous operation since 1792, struck the lion's share of Lincoln cents and its dies endured heavy use. The retained cud mechanism begins with microscopic fatigue cracks under repeated striking pressure, eventually propagating to the rim where the collar constrains metal flow. When the fractured section breaks partially free but remains captured, it continues impressing its irregular profile onto every subsequent planchet, producing coins with a distinctive raised mass at the rim. Nine cataloged retained cuds for the 1935 issue indicates meaningful die usage during a year when mintages were recovering from Depression lows. Composed of 95% copper and 5% tin-and-zinc, these bronze planchets transmitted enough cumulative stress to generate the rim fractures retained cuds document. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety preserves tangible evidence of die deterioration from a pivotal year in American economic history.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tom Caron
• Cross reference: none. 09/08/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References