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

Description

Fourth reverse pre-cud documented for the 1864 copper-nickel Indian Head cent, PC-1c-1864-04R captures an early-stage rim fracture on a die used during the pivotal year when the Mint transitioned between two alloy compositions for the cent denomination. The 1864 Indian Head cent exists in both copper-nickel (88% copper, 12% nickel) and bronze (95% copper, 5% tin/zinc) versions, and this variety's assignment to the copper-nickel subtype places it in the earlier portion of the year's production before the April 22, 1864 Coinage Act authorized the lighter bronze composition. Philadelphia struck approximately 13.74 million copper-nickel cents in 1864 before the changeover, a relatively modest output compared to the 39.23 million bronze cents that followed. James B. Longacre's obverse design pairs with his oak wreath and shield reverse, where the rim area is bordered by a raised border and dentils that serve as the typical origin point for pre-cud fractures. Pre-cuds form when metal fatigue creates a crack running from the die rim inward toward the design field — the die steel has begun to fail but the fractured section has not yet separated or displaced from the die body. On struck coins, this appears as a fine raised line extending from the rim, tracing the subsurface crack through the die. The copper-nickel alloy's hardness demanded higher striking pressures than the bronze composition, contributing to accelerated die wear that may explain the four documented reverse pre-cuds for this subtype. First cataloged on May 31, 2019, by the Cuds on Coins service with no known cross-references, PC-1c-1864-04R contributes to the die failure record for a transitional year that fundamentally changed the physical characteristics of American cent coinage.

Attribution History

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

External References