RCD-1C-1863B-230X Retained Cud

Description

At the 2:30 position (230 degrees) on the rim, the RCD-1C-1863B-230X retained cud from Cuds on Coins records a second rim fracture on Die B of the 1863 Indian Head Cent — again mirroring Die A, which also developed a retained cud at the 230X position. The repeated appearance of retained cuds at the same clock positions on two different dies strengthens the hypothesis that certain rim locations on the 1863 Indian Head Cent design were inherently more susceptible to fracture than others. In die engineering, fracture susceptibility is influenced by the die's cavity geometry: areas where deep design elements approach the rim create thinner die walls that are more prone to cracking under striking force. If the 2:30 position consistently corresponds to such a thin-wall zone on 1863 Indian Head Cent dies, the recurrence of retained cuds at this location across multiple dies becomes predictable rather than coincidental. The copper-nickel planchets struck at the Philadelphia Mint during 1863 Civil War production conditions added to die stress, as this alloy is harder than the bronze composition that would replace it in 1864.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Roth3806 on ebay
• RCD-1C-1863B-230X; none.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References