CU-2c-1864-15 Cud

Description

The fifteenth documented cud for the 1864 Large Motto Two Cent Piece, CU-2c-1864-15 records a rim die break on a coin of extraordinary historical significance — the first United States coin to bear the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The Large Motto variety features bolder, more prominent motto lettering compared to the Small Motto, representing the majority of 1864 production after the initial Small Motto dies were replaced early in the year. That fifteen cuds have been cataloged for this inaugural year speaks to both the volume of dies consumed and the intense scrutiny collectors have applied to first-year issues. Designed by James Barton Longacre, the Two Cent Piece features a shield and crossed arrows on the obverse with the historic motto above, and a wreath encircling the denomination on the reverse. The bronze composition matched the alloy that would be adopted for Indian Head Cents the following year. Cuds on Coins documented this variety within a census capturing die failure history for a denomination that lasted only nine years of regular production, from 1864 through 1872, with proof-only strikings in 1873.

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