CU-1C-1831-03 Cud

Description

Struck at the Philadelphia Mint nearly two centuries ago, this 1831 Matron Head Coronet Head cent carries the third documented cud for its date, cataloged as CU-1C-1831-03 by Cuds on Coins. The cross-reference entry simply repeats the catalog number itself, indicating no independent attribution in other reference systems. The Matron Head large cent, part of the broader Coronet Head series (1816-1835), was designed by Robert Scot and features a stately Liberty portrait with a coronet inscribed LIBERTY on the obverse and a wreath encircling ONE CENT on the reverse. The 1831 issue is identified as the "Large Letters" variety within the Matron Head subseries, distinguishing it from potential small-letters variants in the denomination classification. Philadelphia was the sole U.S. mint in 1831, and large cent production that year totaled approximately 3.36 million pieces, struck on the screw presses that predated the steam-powered coining equipment that would arrive later in the decade. Die steel produced in the early 1830s relied on crucible-forged alloys with less uniform metallurgical properties than modern tool steels, making rim fractures a common byproduct of production. Three documented cuds for a single date from this era suggests either particularly poor die durability that year or, more likely, the sustained attention of large cent die variety specialists who have meticulously cataloged these early American copper coins. The large cent collecting community, organized through groups like Early American Coppers (EAC), has one of the most comprehensive die-variety censuses in all of numismatics, and CU-1C-1831-03 contributes to that tradition of exhaustive documentation.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on eBay
• CU-1C-1831-03
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References