RCD-1c-1953-04R Retained Cud

Description

Fourth reverse retained cud documented for the 1953 Philadelphia Lincoln wheat cent, RCD-1c-1953-04R demonstrates that the die failure census for this date extends well beyond a single isolated instance. Philadelphia struck approximately 256.6 million cents in 1953, a substantial production total that consumed numerous working dies over the course of the year. The existence of at least four reverse retained cuds indicates multiple dies experienced rim fracture during the production run, providing a statistical snapshot of die failure rates under normal production conditions with the standard 95% copper, 5% tin-and-zinc bronze composition. Cross-referenced with a documentation date of October 1, 2013, this variety was among the earlier retained cuds cataloged for the date, establishing a historical record that later discoveries would expand. The retained cud mechanism involves a rim fracture that propagates completely through the die steel but does not result in separation — the broken section is held in place by residual connections or the collar's mechanical constraint, causing it to remain functional while imparting a raised displacement and crack boundary to every subsequent coin it strikes. Victor David Brenner's wheat stalks reverse design, in its forty-fifth year of continuous production in 1953, carries this die failure on the denomination side of the coin. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins without additional cross-references, RCD-1c-1953-04R provides evidence that die rim failures, while far less frequent with bronze planchets than with the wartime steel composition, remained a regular occurrence in mid-century cent production. Collectors looking for this variety should examine the reverse rim for the characteristic raised displacement and boundary crack line, using 10x magnification to distinguish it from post-strike contact damage.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis A
• Cross reference: none. 10/01/2013.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References