CU-1C-1847-09R Rim Cud

Description

Nine documented rim cuds on the 1847 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent make this date one of the most prolific sources of large cent die break varieties, and CU-1C-1847-09R records the ninth entry in this remarkable series. Philadelphia struck 6,183,669 large cents in 1847, using dies that were manufactured by the era's hand-hubbing methods and hardened through case-hardening techniques that left the die surface brittle and susceptible to fracture. Christian Gobrecht's Braided Hair design — the final iteration of the classic Liberty Head motif that had appeared on U.S. large cents since the denomination's inception in 1793 — features a detailed portrait with high-relief hair braiding and a beaded border near the rim, both features that concentrate striking stress and promote die fracture at the periphery. Cross-referenced simply as CU-1C-1847-09R by Cuds on Coins, this ninth cud confirms that multiple dies used during 1847 production developed rim failures, a statistical indicator of either high die utilization rates (dies used beyond their optimal service life) or inherent brittleness in the die steel employed that year. The concentration of nine cuds on a single date provides comparative data for researchers studying die longevity across the Braided Hair series: years with fewer cuds may have used more durable die steel or retired dies earlier in their life cycle, while years with more cuds suggest extended die service or inferior metallurgy.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on eBay
• CU-1C-1847-09R
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References