PC-5C-1882-02R Pre-Cud

Description

Notable for appearing on the same coin as two other die break varieties — RCD-5c-1882-01 and RCD-5c-1882-02R — this pre-cud on an 1882 Shield Nickel documents a developing rim crack that had not yet progressed to full cud separation. The presence of multiple die break types on a single coin indicates a die in an advanced state of deterioration, making this specimen a particularly informative study in die failure progression. The "R" suffix denotes a reverse die break, affecting the large numeral 5 and surrounding wreath elements of the Shield Nickel reverse. Pre-cuds capture the fracture stage between an intact die and a full cud, preserving the crack line across the rim before the fractured piece separates. The Shield Nickel series, designed by James B. Longacre and struck from 1866 to 1883, was the first five-cent coin to use a copper-nickel alloy composition. By 1882, the series was in its penultimate year — replaced in 1883 by Charles Barber's Liberty Head design. Philadelphia was the sole mint striking Shield Nickels. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this multi-variety coin offers collectors a rare window into three stages of die deterioration on one piece.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• PC-5C-1882-02R; number: none. RCD-5c-1882-01 & RCD-5c-1882-02R are on the same coin.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References