CU-1C-1831-04 Cud

Description

Fourth cud cataloged for the 1831 Matron Head Large Cent (Large Letters variety), a notably high count for a pre-1835 cent date that suggests either systematic die rim weakness in the 1831 die production or particularly thorough research coverage for this year. William Kneass's Matron Head design, with its prominent coronet and surrounding stars, creates concentrated stress points at the rim-to-field boundary where the star points approach the die edge. Philadelphia's early 1830s cent production relied on screw presses operated by human muscle power — a technology that imposed variable striking force and alignment that modern knuckle-joint presses eliminated. Cross-referenced as CU-1C-1831-04 by Cuds on Coins. Four cuds for a single year of Matron Head large cent production provides a comparative dataset for understanding die failure patterns in early American coinage, where metallurgy, die hardening techniques, and press technology all lagged behind the demands placed on working dies. Each of the four varieties documents a distinct fracture location and geometry, collectively mapping the vulnerability profile of the 1831 cent die rim.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint on ebay
• CU-1C-1831-04
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References