CU-1c-1861-01 Cud

Description

Produced against the backdrop of a nation plunging into Civil War, this cud die break captures a turbulent moment in American coinage history. The war began in April 1861, and its economic consequences were immediate — the public began hoarding coins of all denominations, and cent coins virtually disappeared from circulation in many areas. The 1861 Indian Head Cent had a mintage of approximately 10.1 million, a sharp decline from prior years reflecting the disruption gripping the nation. CU-1c-1861-01 is the first documented cud die for this date, cataloged in the Cuds on Coins reference system. The coin was struck in copper-nickel alloy (88% copper, 12% nickel) at the Philadelphia Mint. A cud forms when a section of the die rim fractures and breaks away, leaving a void that fills with metal during striking, producing a raised featureless blob along the coin's edge. Die varieties on lower-mintage Civil War dates are especially scarce because fewer die pairs were needed during production. No additional cross-references have been recorded.

External References