RCD-1c-1863-11R Retained Cud

Description

Struck during the Civil War at the Philadelphia Mint, this eleventh documented retained cud on the reverse of an 1863 Indian Head Cent combines a die rim fracture with a repunched date — two distinct die varieties coexisting on the same coin. A retained cud occurs when a section of the die rim fractures but the broken piece stays in position rather than separating, producing a cracked, raised area that retains design detail unlike the blank mass of a full cud. The repunched date adds a second layer of interest: the date digits were punched into the die more than once, with visible traces of the initial impression offset from the final position — a common practice in an era when date logits were individually hand-punched into each working die. The 1863 date places this coin squarely in the Civil War period, when coin hoarding caused severe shortages and prompted the Mint to reduce the Indian Head Cent's composition from copper-nickel to bronze in 1864. The copper-nickel composition of 1863 cents was harder on dies than the later bronze alloy, potentially contributing to rim failures. Eleven reverse retained cuds from this date reflect both the number of dies employed and the intensity of examination Civil War-era cents have received. RCD-1c-1863-11R is cataloged by Cuds on Coins, noting the repunched date as a significant secondary attribution.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Poliquin on ebay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References