CU-1c-1846-02 Rim Cud

Description

Second documented rim cud for the 1846 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent in the Medium Date variety, this die break dates from the Jacksonian Era of American coinage when large copper cents weighing over 10 grams were the standard one-cent denomination. Christian Gobrecht's Braided Hair design, featuring Liberty wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY with her hair in an elaborate braid, was struck at the Philadelphia Mint from 1839 through 1857 as the final type in the large cent series. A cud forms when a section of the die rim fractures and separates completely, leaving a cavity that fills with copper during striking to produce a raised, featureless mass at the coin's periphery. On these large-format cents — 27.5mm in diameter, substantially bigger than a modern quarter — cuds are proportionally larger and more visually dramatic than those found on smaller denominations. The 1846 cent was struck in three date size variants (Small Date, Medium Date, and Tall Date), and this cud belongs specifically to the Medium Date variety. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, pre-Civil War die varieties on large cents are tracked through both modern catalog systems and historical references like the Newcomb numbers. Rim cuds on Braided Hair cents are uncommon in specialist registries, making this a noteworthy entry for collectors of early American copper die varieties.

Attribution History

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

External References