1863 Indian Head Cent - RCD-1c-1863-18R Retained Cud

Description

With a remarkably high sequence number of 18, this 1863 Indian Head Cent retained cud reveals the extraordinary die attrition experienced during Civil War production at the Philadelphia Mint. Eighteen distinct retained cuds from 1863 reverse dies speaks to punishing conditions: wartime coinage demand was intense even as experienced Mint workers enlisted, and the copper-nickel composition (88% copper, 12% nickel) was harder on dies than the bronze alloy that replaced it in 1864. The R suffix confirms the retained cud appears on the reverse, where a fractured rim segment broke free but was held in place, striking a raised plateau onto the oak wreath and shield design. A retained cud differs from a full cud in that the broken piece stays in its socket, creating a raised area that still carries its design rather than a plain blob. Designed by James B. Longacre, the Indian Head Cent's obverse depicts Liberty wearing a Native American feathered headdress — an allegorical representation rather than an actual portrait. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as RCD (retained cud), 1c (cent), 1863 (year), 18 (eighteenth documented), R (reverse). Examine the reverse rim under magnification for the raised, slightly distorted region marking the retained fracture on this Civil War-era issue.

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