RCD-1c-2013-01R Retained Cud

Description

Marking the first cataloged reverse retained cud on the 2013-P Lincoln Shield cent, RCD-1c-2013-01R documents a die rim fracture on the modern cent design introduced in 2010. The Lincoln Shield cent replaced the four 2009 bicentennial reverse designs with Lyndall Bass's union shield motif, symbolizing President Lincoln's preservation of the United States as one nation during the Civil War. Philadelphia struck approximately 3.75 billion cents in 2013, an enormous production volume executed on zinc planchets with a thin copper coating — the composition adopted in 1982 when rising copper prices made solid bronze cents uneconomical. A retained cud on the Shield cent reverse involves a fracture in the die rim that partially separates a section of steel while keeping it physically connected to the die body. Unlike a full cud, where the broken piece detaches and leaves a featureless raised area on struck coins, the retained fragment stays in place and produces a more nuanced variety — the affected area near the rim may show a subtle plateau, slight displacement, or altered surface quality while retaining some design detail. The copper-plated zinc composition strikes differently than the older bronze alloy, with the softer zinc core yielding to the die under less pressure, which affects how die failures manifest on the struck coin surface. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no known cross-references, RCD-1c-2013-01R establishes the inaugural entry in what may eventually become a longer series of retained cuds documented for this date and mint. Collectors should examine the reverse rim under 5-10x magnification, looking for the characteristic elevation change or plateau that signals a retained die fragment, paying attention to the shield's border elements and the ONE CENT inscription near the rim where die stress concentrations are highest.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jim Fines
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References