IDB-1c-1855-01 Interior Die Break

Description

Companion to the Upright 55 variety sharing the same catalog designation, this first documented interior die break on the 1855 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent in the Slanted 55 date style represents a separate die that developed the same type of internal failure. Interior die breaks occur when a portion of the die face fractures below the surface and separates, creating a void that fills with metal during striking and produces a raised blob within the coin's design field — mechanically distinct from rim-based cuds. The "Slanted 55" designation refers to the angle of the date digits, distinguishing this die from the "Upright 55" variety — both date styles were produced at the Philadelphia Mint in 1855, with different date digit punches or different angles of punch application creating the two recognizable variants. Christian Gobrecht's Braided Hair design, featuring Liberty wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY with her hair arranged in an elaborate braided style, had been in production since 1839 and was nearing the end of its run. The large cent denomination itself was about to be discontinued, replaced in 1857 by the smaller-diameter Flying Eagle Cent as public complaints about the unwieldy size of large cents finally prompted congressional action. That two separate 1855 dies — one for each date style — both developed interior die breaks suggests that the die steel or die preparation techniques of this era were susceptible to subsurface failure, possibly due to inadequate heat treatment or material inconsistencies in the domestically produced die steel. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no known cross-references, these paired interior die breaks on contemporary dies provide a rare window into mid-19th century die manufacturing quality.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Westcoastcoinsoregon on ebay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References