PC-5c-1883-11 Pre-Cud

Description

Struck during the infamous first year of the Liberty Head Nickel series, when the absence of the word CENTS on the reverse led to widespread gold-plating fraud, this 1883 No CENTS nickel carries a pre-cud die variety cataloged as PC-5c-1883-11. A pre-cud represents the precursor stage to a full cud break, where the die has cracked at the rim but the broken section has not yet separated from the die face. Instead of the featureless raised blob that characterizes a complete cud, a pre-cud appears as a raised line or ridge tracing the path of the fracture, marking where the die will eventually fail completely if it remains in service. This particular pre-cud is split into two connected parts, with the left portion designated as number 11 and the right portion as number 12, indicating the crack follows a path that spans two adjacent cataloged positions along the rim. Pre-cuds on the 1883 No CENTS nickel carry added numismatic interest because the type was produced for only a few months before the Mint added CENTS to the reverse, making the host coin itself a short-lived and historically significant issue.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: none. This retained cud is split into two parts. The left side is #11 while the right side is #12.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References