CU-1C-1847-4 Cud

Description

Fourth documented rim cud on the 1847 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent, CU-1C-1847-4 extends the die break documentation for this date to at least four distinct examples — a notable accumulation that suggests the 1847 die steel or production conditions were particularly conducive to rim fractures. The Philadelphia Mint's 1847 output of 6,183,669 large cents required multiple die pairs, each hand-engraved and subjected to the mechanical punishment of striking oversized copper planchets on screw presses without the automated feed systems that would later reduce die stress. Christian Gobrecht's Braided Hair design, introduced in 1839, features Liberty wearing a beaded headband with hair gathered in a braided bun — intricate obverse detail that creates stress concentration points at the die's rim where the design elements terminate. No additional cross-references exist beyond the Cuds on Coins designation. The concentration of four cuds within a single date allows researchers to compare fracture locations across dies, building a statistical picture of where rim breaks most commonly initiated on Braided Hair cent dies. Collectors pursuing pre-Civil War die break varieties find Braided Hair cuds particularly appealing because the large copper format preserves die failure evidence with exceptional clarity and visual impact.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on eBay
• CU-1C-1847-4; none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References