RCD-1c-1837-05 Retained Cud

Description

Dating to the early years of the Modified Matron Head design, RCD-1c-1837-05 documents the fifth retained cud on the 1837 large cent with Beaded Cords sub-variety. The Modified Matron Head, struck from 1835 through 1839, represents a transitional period in large cent design when the Mint refined the Matron Head portrait introduced in 1816. The Beaded Cords sub-variety is distinguished by a beaded texture on the hair cords binding Liberty's hair, as opposed to the Plain Cords variant where the cords appear smooth. A retained cud develops when a die crack propagates to the rim and the separated fragment remains lodged in place, impressing a raised irregular mass onto every subsequent planchet struck. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this business strike was produced at Philadelphia in pure copper, the standard large cent composition. Five retained cuds for this specific date and sub-variety indicates meaningful die attrition on the Beaded Cords dies, consistent with the era's hand-operated screw presses and the demanding copper composition that imposed substantial stress on working dies. Collectors of early copper will recognize the Beaded Cords as the scarcer of the two 1837 sub-types.

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