1865 Two Cent Piece - PC-2c-1865-08R Pre-Cud

Description

Documented by the Cuds on Coins attribution service, PC-2c-1865-08R records a reverse pre-cud on the 1865 Two Cent Piece — a denomination that holds a unique place in American numismatic history as the first United States coin to bear the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The designation follows the standard naming convention: PC for pre-cud, 2c for the two-cent denomination, 1865 for the date, and 08R the entry number, with R for the reverse. James B. Longacre designed the Two Cent Piece with a prominent shield and arrows on the obverse beneath the debut of the national motto, while the reverse features a wheat wreath encircling the denomination 2 CENTS. Philadelphia struck approximately 13.64 million Two Cent Pieces in 1865, the second year of the denomination's brief life (1864-1873), during the final months of the Civil War and the period of reconstruction that followed. Pre-cuds develop when die steel begins to fracture near the rim — the zone of maximum mechanical stress during striking — producing a raised crack line on struck coins around a section that is still part of the die, one that could progress to a full cud if the die stayed in service. No cross-references to other attribution systems are currently documented for this variety. Collectors should examine the reverse rim area under moderate magnification for the characteristic raised zone that marks the developing die fracture.

External References