CU-1c-1887-01R Cud

Description

First in the sequence of documented reverse cuds on the 1887 Indian Head Cent, CU-1c-1887-01R records the primary example of catastrophic die rim failure on the wreath reverse of this date. A cud forms when a section of the die rim fractures and separates entirely from the die face, leaving a void that fills with metal during the striking process. The resulting raised, featureless blob at the coin's edge contrasts dramatically with the surrounding design detail, making cuds among the most visually distinctive die varieties. James Barton Longacre's Indian Head design, featuring Liberty wearing a Native American headdress on the obverse and an oak wreath with shield on the reverse, was struck exclusively at the Philadelphia Mint throughout its fifty-year production span from 1859 to 1909. The 1887 issue, with its mintage of approximately 45.2 million pieces, represents a mature phase of the series when die steel quality and production techniques had been refined over nearly three decades of continuous manufacturing. Despite these refinements, the compressive forces involved in striking bronze planchets at production speed inevitably caused cumulative rim stress that could lead to fracture. As the founding entry in the 1887 cud catalog, the -01R designation marks the first die to experience complete reverse rim separation among the documented examples, establishing the baseline for subsequent discoveries. Indian Head Cent cuds attract dedicated collectors who appreciate both the visual impact of the variety and its documentation of nineteenth-century die failure patterns at America's primary coinage facility.

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