CU-1C-1817-01R Cud

Description

Designated CU-1C-1817-01R, this cud error appears on the 1817 Matron Head Coronet Head Cent bearing the 13-star obverse design. Cuds form when a piece of the die breaks away at the rim, creating a raised, featureless blob of metal at the edge of the struck coin where the missing die fragment can no longer impart design detail. The result is a smooth, elevated area that contrasts sharply with the surrounding design elements and rim dentils. The 1817 cent represents the second year of the Matron Head design, introduced in 1816 and continuing through 1835 as part of the large cent series. Early copper cents from this period were struck on relatively soft planchets using dies that endured significant stress during production, making rim breaks and cud formation more common than on later, harder alloy coinage. The Matron Head design — featuring Liberty wearing a coronet inscribed with LIBERTY — saw production at the Philadelphia Mint, the sole operating facility during this era. Collectors of early copper varieties actively seek cud errors because each represents a unique die failure event, making every cud a one-of-a-kind die state within the die variety specialty.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793
• CU-1C-1817-01R; none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References