1836 Modified Matron Head Coronet Head Cent - CU-1C-1836-02 Cud

Description

CU-1C-1836-02 records a major die break on an 1836 Modified Matron Head Coronet Head Cent, a transitional-year large cent that bridges the earlier Matron Head design and the forthcoming Braided Hair redesign of 1839. The Modified Matron Head series (1835-1839) represents Christian Gobrecht's refinements of Robert Scot's large cent obverse, with subtle but catalogable differences in Liberty's hair treatment, facial features, and star placement distinguishing it from both its predecessor and successor designs. No cross-references to other variety catalogs have been documented for this cud. The 1836 large cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint on copper planchets about 28 to 29 mm in diameter, and the substantial planchet size required high striking pressures that subjected die rims to intense mechanical stress — especially during extended production runs where die steel fatigue accumulated with each successive strike. Pre-Civil War Mint die management practices differed significantly from modern standards: dies were used until they failed or produced unacceptably poor strikes, and the economic pressure to maximize die life meant that dies often remained in press well past the point where modern quality control would have retired them. This extended service amplified the probability of rim fractures, making cuds on early copper cents a relatively well-populated variety category despite the lower absolute mintages compared to later series.

Cross References

• CU-1C-1836-02; none.

External References