RCD-1c-1887-13R Retained Cud

Description

Thirteenth in the retained cud sequence for the 1887 Indian Head Cent, RCD-1c-1887-13R was struck at Philadelphia and cataloged by Cuds on Coins. A retained cud captures a die in its terminal service phase — cracked to the rim with a displaced fragment still held in place — yet continuing to produce coins bearing a raised shapeless mass where the fragment presses into each planchet. The 1887 Indian Head Cent was produced in bronze, the 95% copper alloy with tin and zinc that served the series from 1864 through 1909. Philadelphia's output of over 45 million cents in 1887 required extensive die usage, and the cumulative stress of high-speed coining operations ensured some percentage of dies would reach the retained cud stage before retirement. Thirteen documented retained cuds indicates thorough die variety research applied to this date within the Cuds on Coins cataloging framework. Each successive entry expands the empirical record of terminal die behavior, providing data points that illuminate failure rates under the specific metallurgical and production conditions of late nineteenth-century Philadelphia Mint operations.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: none. 07/21/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References