PC-250c(Au)-1927-01 Pre-Cud

Description

Representing one of the rarest denominations to appear in die crack variety catalogs, this 1927 Indian Head Gold Quarter Eagle pre-cud documents an internal die crack on one of American numismatics' most distinctive coin types. Cataloged as PC-250c(Au)-1927-01 by Cuds on Coins, the pre-cud stage indicates a die crack that has not yet broken through to the rim — had the die continued in service, the crack would likely have expanded into a full cud with a raised blob of metal at the rim's edge. The Indian Head Quarter Eagle series (1908-1929), designed by Bela Lyon Pratt, stands alone in United States coinage history for its incuse design — all design elements are recessed below the coin's surface rather than raised above it. This revolutionary approach, inspired by Egyptian art and championed by President Theodore Roosevelt during his "Renaissance" of American coin design, was applied only to the Quarter Eagle and Half Eagle denominations. The sunken relief means die cracks manifest differently than on conventional raised-design coins, as the relationship between field and device is inverted. Struck in 90% gold (with 10% copper alloy) at just 15mm diameter and weighing 4.18 grams, this diminutive gold coin with its pre-cud die crack bridges the worlds of die variety collecting and precious metal numismatics.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jon Sullivan
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References