1867 Indian Head Cent Reverse Rim Cud (5:30 to 6 o'clock)

Description

A rim cud is documented on the reverse of this 1867 Indian Head Cent, positioned just counterclockwise of the 6 o'clock position and extending to approximately 5:30 on the reverse — placing the die break in the lower left quadrant of the wreath design. A cud occurs when a segment of the die fractures at the rim and the broken piece either falls away or shifts position, leaving a void in the die face where planchet metal flows freely during subsequent strikes, creating a raised, featureless blob at the corresponding location on every coin produced after the break. The clock-position description system provides precise spatial identification without requiring specific design-element references, though at the 5:30 to 6 o'clock reverse position, the cud would affect the lower portion of the laurel wreath and potentially the nearby ribbon or legend lettering. The featureless raised area of a cud is diagnostically distinct from other die errors because the complete absence of design detail within the affected zone — contrasted against the sharp design surrounding it — can only result from a die-face void, not from striking pressure variations, die wear, or planchet defects. The 1867 Indian Head Cent was designed by James B. Longacre, featuring Liberty wearing a feathered headdress on the obverse and an oak wreath with shield on the reverse, struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a diameter of 19.05 mm. The 1867 is a lower-mintage issue with just over 9.8 million struck, making it a semi-key date in the Indian Head Cent series. Rim cuds on post-Civil War Indian Head Cents document the stresses experienced by Philadelphia Mint dies during a period when production demands were adjusting to peacetime monetary needs.