RCD-1c-1955-18R Retained Cud

Description

The eighteenth retained cud documented on the 1955 Lincoln Wheat Cent, the RCD-1c-1955-18R demonstrates the remarkable depth of die failure documentation for this single date. With at least nineteen retained cuds cataloged for 1955 Philadelphia Mint cents, the year ranks among the most prolific for this category of die break — a frequency that likely reflects both high production demands and the extensive scrutiny collectors have applied to the date. Retained cuds form when terminal die cracks reach the rim and a section of steel fractures but does not fully detach, producing coins bearing a distinctive raised blob of metal that retains partial design detail from the broken fragment. The retained nature of the break creates a more complex visual presentation than a full cud, as the fragment's interference with metal flow generates distortion patterns unique to each specimen. Attributed by Cuds on Coins as RCD-1c-1955-18R, this variety represents one of the later-numbered retained cuds for the year, and its high sequence number speaks to the thoroughness with which variety specialists have examined 1955 cent dies. The Lincoln Wheat Cent series, produced from 1909 through 1958, generated enormous quantities of die varieties across nearly five decades of continuous production.

Attribution History

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

External References