CU-1c-1840-01 Rim Cud

Description

Among the earliest-dated cuds in the Cuds on Coins census, CU-1c-1840-01 documents a rim break on the 1840 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent — specifically the Small/Large 18 date variety, which itself reflects the transition between two different date logotypes used at the Philadelphia Mint during 1840 production. A cud on a coin of this age carries particular significance because pre-Civil War die failures were handled differently than modern practice: dies in the 1840s were individually crafted at far greater expense than today's mass-produced tooling, and damaged dies were often kept in service longer before replacement, meaning cuds from this era may show evidence of extended use after the initial rim break occurred. The Braided Hair design, created by Christian Gobrecht and introduced in 1839, features a detailed wreath of braided hair encircling Liberty's head on the obverse and a simple wreath surrounding the denomination on the reverse — both designs rendered in copper at approximately 10.89 grams on a large 27.5mm planchet that provided ample rim surface area for stress-related die failures to develop. No cross-references to other attribution systems have been confirmed for this variety, and its status as the first (and only) cataloged rim cud for the 1840 Braided Hair Cent suggests either that surviving examples are exceedingly scarce or that the die was pulled from service relatively quickly after the break occurred. Coins of this vintage with major die errors command particular attention because of the small surviving population — 180-plus years of attrition through damage, melting, and loss have reduced the number of available specimens far below even the original struck quantity from the broken die.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on eBay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References