RCD-50c-1847O-01R Retained Cud

Description

Cataloged as RCD-50c-1847O-01R by Cuds on Coins, this retained cud on the 1847 New Orleans Seated Liberty half dollar captures a dramatic intermediate stage of die failure where a section of the reverse die has cracked and begun separating but remains partially attached within the die assembly. Christian Gobrecht's Seated Liberty design, which graced the half dollar from 1839 through 1891, features the allegorical figure of Liberty seated on a rock, holding a staff with a Phrygian cap, while the reverse displays a heraldic eagle — a design rich in fine detail that vividly records the progressive stages of die deterioration. New Orleans struck approximately 2.58 million half dollars in 1847, one of the higher O-mint production figures during the mid-1840s, as the southern branch mint served the commercial needs of the Mississippi River trade economy. Retained cuds differ from full cuds in a critical way: where a full cud shows a completely featureless raised blob where the broken die fragment has fallen away, a retained cud preserves some design detail because the cracked section remains in contact with the die body. The struck coin displays a raised area with partially flattened or distorted design elements, often bordered by a visible raised line tracing the die crack that defines the retained fragment's boundary. The reverse location (indicated by the "R" suffix) places this die failure on the eagle side of the coin. Collectors examining 1847-O half dollars should look for an area on the reverse where design elements appear soft or elevated compared to surrounding details, bordered by an irregular raised line that represents the die crack's path — best observed under 10x magnification with oblique lighting.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tecc1 on ebay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References