CU-1c-1885-01 Cud

Description

Among the lower-production years of the 1880s, the 1885 Indian Head Cent had a mintage of approximately 11.8 million pieces — making cuds from this date scarcer in absolute numbers than those from higher-mintage years. Fewer coins struck means fewer die pairs consumed, which means fewer opportunities for the rim fractures that produce cuds. CU-1c-1885-01 is the first documented cud die for this date, cataloged in the Cuds on Coins reference system and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze composition. The lower mintage also means surviving examples in any condition are less common than their higher-mintage neighbors, and finding one that also carries a cud die break adds a layer of scarcity. A cud forms when a section of die steel along the rim fractures under repeated striking stress, separates from the die body, and leaves a void that fills with metal on subsequent impressions. The raised featureless blob that results is unique to each die failure, and attribution requires comparison against published reference photographs. No additional cross-references have been recorded.

External References