RCD-1c-1950-08R Retained Cud

Description

Recording the eighth retained cud for the 1950 Lincoln Wheat Cent, RCD-1c-1950-08R was struck at Philadelphia and is documented by Cuds on Coins. The postwar period saw the Wheat Cent enter its final production decade with standard bronze fully restored — 95% copper with the tin-zinc balance characterizing the alloy before wartime disruptions. A retained cud occurs when a working die develops a crack reaching the rim, and the resulting fragment breaks partially free but stays mechanically trapped, continuing to impress its shape into each subsequent planchet. The raised irregular mass left on struck coins carries a distorted remnant of the original design, distinguishing retained cuds from full cuds where the fragment separates entirely. Eight documented retained cuds for 1950 falls within the expected range for a high-volume late Wheat Cent date. Philadelphia struck cents without a mintmark throughout this period, and the volume of die pairs required to fulfill production quotas ensured some percentage would reach terminal deterioration. This variety extends the die failure record and provides comparative data for tracking retained cud frequency across the series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References