PC-1c-1837-01R Pre-Cud

Description

Dating from the Jacksonian Era, this pre-cud on an 1837 Modified Matron Head Coronet Large Cent with Plain Cords and Small Letters documents a developing die rim crack captured before it progressed to a full cud separation. A pre-cud represents the intermediate stage of die rim failure: the fracture has formed but the broken piece remains attached to the die body, producing a visible crack line on struck coins rather than the raised featureless blob that characterizes a full cud. The "R" suffix indicates this pre-cud appeared on the reverse die. The 1837 date falls within the Modified Matron Head subtype (1835-1839), one of the later iterations of the Coronet Head large cent design that had been in production since 1816. These hefty copper cents, weighing approximately 10.89 grams, were struck at the Philadelphia Mint using hand-powered screw presses that generated significant mechanical stress on die rims. The "Plain Cords, Small Letters" designation refers to specific design variants within the 1837 date, distinguishing this from other die marriages. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with a cross-reference date of 10/1/2015, no other cross-references to major variety guides are currently known. Pre-cuds on early copper coinage provide a window into the progressive failure of dies that operated under the demanding conditions of early nineteenth-century minting technology.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: None. 10/1/2015
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References