PC-1c-1863-16R Pre-Cud

Description

Sixteenth pre-cud documented on the reverse of the 1863 Indian Head cent by the Cuds on Coins attribution service, PC-1c-1863-16R was cataloged on January 14, 2022 — one of the most recent additions to the extensive die failure census for this Civil War-era date. The 1863 date has accumulated at least sixteen reverse pre-cuds, a frequency that ranks it among the most thoroughly documented years for die rim failures in the Indian Head cent series. James B. Longacre's design was in its fifth year of production using the copper-nickel composition that preceded the switch to bronze in 1864, and Philadelphia's output of approximately 49.84 million cents in 1863 reflected wartime demand for hard currency even as the public increasingly hoarded coins. The copper-nickel alloy's hardness imposed greater stress on coining dies compared to softer compositions, contributing directly to the elevated frequency of rim fractures that the pre-cud census documents. Sixteen reverse pre-cuds from a single date establish a robust statistical sample of die failure behavior — each representing a separate working die that developed a rim crack during its production life. The progressive numbering from PC-1c-1863-01R through PC-1c-1863-16R spans a catalog construction period of several years (the earliest entries predate 2018 while this sixteenth was added in 2022), reflecting the ongoing nature of die variety discovery as collectors continue to identify and submit previously uncataloged specimens. Pre-cuds occupy the earliest stage of the progressive die failure sequence that continues through retained cuds (where the broken piece loosens) to full cuds (where the piece separates entirely). On struck coins, a pre-cud manifests as a fine raised line following the crack path from the rim inward, typically requiring 10-15x magnification to identify and distinguish from normal die finish characteristics.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Alain Dupecher
• Cross reference: none. 01/14/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References