CU-1C-1847-06 Rim Cud

Description

Sixth documented rim cud on the 1847 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent, CU-1C-1847-06 extends the substantial cud census for this mid-nineteenth-century large cent date. Philadelphia struck 6,183,669 large cents in 1847, a production volume that required numerous die pairs and generated statistical opportunities for rim fractures across the die population. With six documented cuds, the 1847 date ranks among the more thoroughly cataloged years in the Braided Hair cud census, providing researchers with a meaningful dataset for analyzing die failure patterns during this era of large cent production. Christian Gobrecht's Braided Hair design, in continuous production since 1839, featured deeply incised stars surrounding Liberty's portrait on the obverse, and these stars — particularly near the rim — created natural stress concentration points where die fractures tended to initiate. The large cent's substantial 27.5mm diameter imposed significant mechanical demands on each die impression, and the hand-operated screw presses at Philadelphia delivered inconsistent force that could accelerate fracture propagation in dies already weakened by metal fatigue. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins under cross-reference CU-1C-1847-06, this variety belongs to a period of American copper coinage when die life was limited by both metallurgical constraints and production methods that would not be substantially improved until the introduction of steam-powered presses later in the decade. The absence of supplementary die markers or comments suggests the rim cud is the primary collectible diagnostic.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on eBay
• CU-1C-1847-06
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References