PC-1c-1863-12R Pre-Cud

Description

Twelfth pre-cud documented on the reverse of the 1863 Indian Head cent by the Cuds on Coins attribution service, PC-1c-1863-12R represents one of numerous die rim fractures cataloged for this Civil War-era date. The entry was cataloged on September 9, 2018, adding to the growing census of die failure varieties for the Indian Head cent series. James B. Longacre's design — Liberty wearing a Native American feathered headdress on the obverse and an oak wreath enclosing ONE CENT on the reverse with a small shield at the top — was produced in copper-nickel composition from 1859 through 1864. Philadelphia struck approximately 49.84 million Indian Head cents in 1863, a substantial mintage driven by wartime demand even as the public hoarded hard money and fractional currency tokens proliferated to fill the void in commercial transactions. The copper-nickel alloy (88% Cu, 12% Ni) required higher striking pressures than pure copper, accelerating die wear and increasing the frequency of rim fractures that produce pre-cuds, retained cuds, and full cuds. The proliferation of pre-cuds documented for 1863 — with at least twelve reverse examples cataloged — provides quantitative evidence of the mechanical stress imposed on dies during high-volume wartime production with the challenging copper-nickel composition. A pre-cud represents the earliest visible stage of progressive die rim failure: the steel has fractured but the broken piece remains firmly seated, transferring only a thin raised line on struck coins that traces the crack path from the rim into the adjacent design area. As the die continues in service, this fracture can progress to a retained cud (piece loose but still attached) and eventually a full cud (piece separated, leaving a void). Collectors should inspect the reverse rim under 10-15x magnification for fine raised lines radiating inward from the edge.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: none. 09/09/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References