PC-1c-1864-04R Pre-Cud

Description

Recorded in the die failure registry on May 31, 2019, this PC-1c-1864-04R pre-cud variety was identified on the 1864 Indian Head cent in the Bronze No L configuration — the version of the redesigned bronze cent that lacks designer James B. Longacre's initial "L" on the headdress ribbon, distinguishing it from the companion L on Ribbon variant also produced that year. A pre-cud documents the early stage of an emerging die rim failure where fine cracks have begun to form an interconnected network along the rim, outlining a section that may eventually fracture into a retained cud or fully separate as a standard cud break. The 1864 Bronze No L Indian Head cent represents the earliest production of the new thinner, lighter bronze composition that replaced the heavier copper-nickel planchets, and this composition transition altered the stress dynamics between die and planchet during the striking process. Philadelphia's total 1864 bronze cent production of approximately 39.2 million pieces encompassed both the No L and L on Ribbon variants, with the No L type generally believed to have been struck first in the production sequence. No cross-references from other attribution services have been established for this variety. The pre-cud designation as 04R (fourth documented pre-cud with reverse attribution) for the 1864 date indicates active die failure documentation across the Indian Head cent series by Cuds on Coins researchers. Pre-cuds are distinguished from ordinary die cracks by their characteristic boundary-forming geometry — rather than a single linear crack path, multiple cracks converge to partially or fully enclose a rim section, foreshadowing the shape of the fragment that may eventually break away. Examination at 15-20x magnification with carefully angled lighting is recommended for tracing the crack boundary network.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Pat Flynn
• Cross reference: none. 05/31/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References