PC-100c-1898-01R Pre-Cud

Description

Listed within the Cuds on Coins catalog, PC-100c-1898-01R records the first identified reverse pre-cud on the 1898 Morgan dollar — a date struck exclusively at Philadelphia with a mintage of approximately 5.88 million coins. The designation follows the standardized naming system: PC for pre-cud, 100c for the silver dollar denomination, 1898 for the date, and 01R indicating the first identified reverse pre-cud for this issue. The cross-reference notation identifies this die as VAM 2B, connecting the pre-cud to a specific die marriage within the Van Allen-Mallis classification system and providing an additional identification pathway for collectors who can first attribute the VAM number before confirming the pre-cud diagnostic. George T. Morgan's silver dollar design, with its heraldic eagle reverse surrounded by a wreath of laurel and oak, provides substantial rim-adjacent design detail where developing die cracks become visible. Pre-cuds represent the earliest detectable stage of die rim failure — the steel has begun to fracture under the repetitive stress of striking but has not yet separated enough to allow planchet metal to flow into the gap. On struck coins, this manifests as a raised, slightly irregular area near the rim where the failing die surface has begun to deform, creating a subtle but repeatable diagnostic that distinguishes the variety from random rim damage or contact marks. The 1898 Philadelphia Morgan dollar is a moderately available date that circulated extensively and was stored in Treasury bags, making specimens accessible for variety examination across a range of grades. The VAM 2B cross-reference adds collector value by linking the die break documentation to the broader VAM catalog infrastructure, allowing researchers to track this die's complete history including any other varieties or die states documented under the VAM-2B classification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: none. VAM 2B.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References