CU-1c-1864-11R(CN) Cud

Description

Documented on the 1864 Indian Head Cent with the L on Ribbon variety, CU-1c-1864-11R(CN) records a reverse cud in the copper-nickel composition — the "R" in the catalog code indicating a reverse-side die break, and "(CN)" specifying the copper-nickel alloy of 88% copper and 12% nickel. The 1864 Indian Head Cent occupies a pivotal transitional year: mid-year, the Mint changed the composition from copper-nickel to bronze, and designer James Longacre's initial L was added to the ribbon on the Indian Head portrait. The L on Ribbon variety in copper-nickel represents coins struck early in the transitional period before the full switch to bronze planchets, making this combination scarcer than its bronze counterpart. A reverse cud carries the raised, unstruck mass characteristic of all cuds — a section of the die rim that fractured and separated, leaving the corresponding area with an amorphous blob of metal rather than the intended design. The catalog code captures the key identifiers: CU for cud, 1c for one cent, 1864 for the date, 11 for the sequential die number, R for reverse, and CN for copper-nickel. Attributed by Cuds on Coins.

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