PC-5c-1866-02 Pre-Cud

Description

Second pre-cud cataloged for the 1866 Shield Nickel with Rays by the Cuds on Coins attribution service, PC-5c-1866-02 documents an independent instance of die rim fracturing on this inaugural-year nickel coinage. The designation follows the standard format: PC for pre-cud, 5c for the five-cent denomination, 1866 for the date, and 02 indicating the second pre-cud identified for this issue. James B. Longacre's Shield nickel debuted in 1866 with the "With Rays" reverse design — a large numeral 5 encircled by thirteen stars with prominent rays radiating between them, a configuration that created opposing high-relief elements on both sides of the coin and generated severe striking difficulties. Philadelphia's 1866 production of approximately 14.74 million pieces represented the nation's first experience with mass-production nickel coinage, and the 75% copper, 25% nickel alloy demanded significantly higher striking pressures than the copper, silver, or gold compositions used for all prior United States denominations. The existence of two documented pre-cuds from the first year of production provides quantitative evidence of the die stress imposed by the hard nickel alloy, as rim fractures develop when the die steel can no longer withstand the repeated outward pressure generated during striking. Pre-cuds capture the moment of incipient die failure — the steel has cracked but not yet separated, producing a raised but structurally connected area on the struck coin that would eventually develop into a full retained die break (cud) if the die continued in service. The pairing of PC-5c-1866-01 and PC-5c-1866-02 establishes that multiple dies experienced this early-stage fracturing during the denomination's inaugural production run, contributing to the historical record of the Mint's mechanical adaptation to the challenging new alloy.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References