CU-1c-1864-10R Cud

Description

This tenth reverse cud on an 1864 Indian Head Cent of the Bronze No L sub-type documents a major die break at the rim where a section of the reverse die fractured and separated, leaving a cavity that filled with featureless metal during striking. The "Bronze No L" designation distinguishes this from the "L on Ribbon" variety of the same year — both are bronze composition (introduced mid-1864 to replace copper-nickel), but the No L version lacks James Barton Longacre's initial on the hair ribbon. The 1864 Indian Head Cent is consequently one of the most sub-type-rich dates in the series, with three distinct varieties (copper-nickel, bronze no L, and bronze with L) each generating their own die variety catalogs. Cuds represent the most dramatic form of die rim failure: the fractured section falls completely away from the die, and the resulting void produces a raised, smooth mass at the coin's edge that obliterates the underlying design. The "10R" designation — tenth reverse cud — indicates substantial die variety documentation for this date and sub-type. Indian Head Cents were struck exclusively at the Philadelphia Mint from 1859 through 1909, and the dies for this small 19mm denomination experienced rim stresses proportional to the striking pressures applied to the 3.11-gram bronze planchets. The distinction between this Bronze No L cud and the companion L on Ribbon cud (also numbered 10R) demonstrates how sub-type differentiation multiplies the cataloging of die varieties within a single year.

External References