CU-1C-1846-3 Cud

Description

The third documented cud variety for the 1846 Braided Hair cent, CU-1C-1846-3 joins two other rim breaks (CU-1C-1846-1 and CU-1C-1846-2) cataloged on the Small Date obverse of this issue. Having three separate cud varieties from the same date and die combination is noteworthy and suggests either a single die that fractured progressively at multiple rim locations, or multiple dies that each failed independently under the pressures of striking large copper planchets. The Braided Hair cent series (1839-1857) employed a steam-powered coining press that delivered consistent high-tonnage strikes, and the relatively soft copper planchets transmitted substantial shock back into the dies with each impression. Christian Gobrecht's obverse, with thirteen stars closely spaced around Liberty's portrait and the date at the 6:00 position, creates thin die walls at the rim that were structurally vulnerable. No additional cross-references beyond the Cuds on Coins designation exist for this variety. Collectors of pre-Civil War copper errors value these pieces both for the dramatic visual appeal of the raised cud area and for the insight they provide into 1840s minting technology and die maintenance practices at the Philadelphia Mint.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on eBay
• CU-1C-1846-3; none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References