CU-1C-1798-07 Cud

Description

Pure copper planchets presented unique challenges for die longevity in early American coinage, and this seventh documented cud on the 1798/7 Overdate Draped Bust Cent reflects the interaction between soft metal and hardened steel under striking pressure. Copper's malleability meant planchets flowed readily into die cavities during striking, but the force required to fully impress the design into large-diameter cent planchets placed enormous stress on the die rim — the thinnest and most vulnerable portion of the die face. Over repeated strikes, micro-fractures accumulated at the rim's edge where die steel transitioned from the design field to the collar boundary, eventually producing the complete rim separation that defines a cud. Early American copper cents, known collectively as "large cents" for their substantial diameter, are avidly collected by specialists who prize die varieties as windows into the Mint's earliest production methods. Seven cataloged cuds for a single die pairing on the 1798/7 overdate demonstrate that this particular die endured well beyond the point where rim integrity had been compromised. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as the seventh cud variety for this date.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• CU-1C-1798-07
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References