PC-5c-1883-18R Pre-Cud

Description

Eighteenth reverse pre-cud cataloged for the 1883 Liberty Head Nickel - No CENTS variety, PC-5c-1883-18R documents yet another instance of reverse die rim fracturing on this first-year issue. The Cuds on Coins catalog code identifies the error type (PC for pre-cud), denomination (5c), date (1883), sequential number (18), and the R suffix confirming the pre-cud occurs on the reverse. Charles E. Barber's reverse design for the No CENTS variety featured a large Roman numeral V within a wreath of corn, cotton, and wheat — a design that infamously omitted any indication that the coin was worth five cents, leading to the rapid mid-year addition of the word CENTS and creating two distinct 1883 subtypes. Philadelphia produced approximately 5.48 million examples of the No CENTS variety, and the documentation of at least eighteen reverse pre-cuds indicates substantial die stress during this production run. Pre-cuds capture a critical transitional phase in die failure: cracks have extended from the rim far enough to partially outline a section of die steel, but the bounded fragment has not yet broken away to form a full cud (retained or detached). On struck coins, the pre-cud appears as raised crack lines near the rim that partially enclose a design area — the enclosed region may show slight elevation or displacement but retains its design detail, distinguishing pre-cuds from the featureless or distorted masses characteristic of full retained cuds. The hard nickel alloy (75% copper, 25% nickel) used for Liberty Head nickels created higher die stress than precious-metal coinage, and the 1883 No CENTS issue's deep census of eighteen reverse pre-cuds quantifies this metallurgical challenge. Collectors should examine the reverse rim area under 5-10x magnification, looking for crack lines that extend inward from the rim and begin to converge toward each other.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tanner Scott
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References