RCD-1c-2020-01 Retained Cud

Description

Cataloged by the Cuds on Coins reference with documentation dated March 31, 2022, and cross-referenced with Stages 1-3 and the primary RCD-1c-2020-01 designation, this 2020 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent displays a retained cud variety with a particularly detailed description of its multi-stage die failure progression. A retained cud occurs when a piece of the die cracks and begins to fracture away from the die face but remains partially attached rather than separating completely, producing a raised but slightly displaced area on struck coins that retains some design detail and shows visible crack lines. The cross-reference description notes that "In Stage C all areas experiencing brittle failure have merged and fallen out of the die face, save for a bi-level die crack extending northward from the elongated cud" — documenting the terminal stage of this die's deterioration where multiple fracture zones coalesced into a large area of die loss, with only a residual bi-level crack remaining above the main cud zone. This progressive brittle failure narrative provides collectors with a complete mechanical failure timeline for the die. The Lincoln Shield Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 2020 in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.50 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The Shield reverse, designed by Lyndall Bass, features a Union shield with thirteen vertical stripes. Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait has been in use since 1909. The multi-stage documentation of this retained cud — from initial fracture through progressive brittle failure to the final merged cud — provides one of the more detailed die failure case studies in the modern Lincoln Cent catalog, illustrating the metallurgical and mechanical processes that govern die breakdown under production conditions.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Matthew Vallee
• Cross reference number: Stages 1-3 & RCD-1c-2020-01. 03/31/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References