PC-1c-1864-03R Pre-Cud

Description

Numbered third among the reverse pre-cuds for the 1864 copper-nickel Indian Head cent, PC-1c-1864-03R documents another instance of incipient die rim failure during the final year of the copper-nickel cent composition. The existence of at least four reverse pre-cuds for the copper-nickel 1864 issue — a subtype with a mintage of only approximately 13.74 million pieces — underscores the mechanical challenges posed by striking the harder copper-nickel alloy, which demanded greater force from the coining press and imposed correspondingly greater stress on the die rims. James B. Longacre designed both sides of the Indian Head cent: the obverse features Liberty in a feathered headdress, while the reverse displays an oak wreath enclosing a shield above the denomination ONE CENT. Philadelphia was the sole operating mint for Indian Head cent production in 1864, concentrating all die wear and failure documentation at a single facility. A pre-cud represents the precursor stage to a retained cud or full die break — the die steel has developed a fracture line extending from the rim but the broken segment remains flush and intact, producing only a fine raised ridge on struck coins rather than the flat, shelf-like disturbance of a fully developed cud. The progression from pre-cud to retained cud to full cud documents the mechanical life cycle of a failing die, and collectors who locate pre-cuds are observing the earliest phase of this deterioration sequence. First cataloged on February 12, 2019, by the Cuds on Coins attribution service with no cross-references to other systems, this variety joins PC-1c-1864-01R, 02R, and 04R in establishing the 1864 copper-nickel cent as a date with notable reverse die rim fragility. Examination under 10-15x magnification along the reverse rim will reveal the fine raised crack line characteristic of a pre-cud.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Devin Anderson
• Cross reference: none. 02/12/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References