CU-1c-1861-02R Cud

Description

Struck in the year Fort Sumter was fired upon and the Civil War began, this second documented reverse cud for the 1861 Indian Head Cent emerges from one of the most turbulent years in American history. The "R" suffix identifies this as a reverse die failure. Mintage dropped sharply to approximately 10.1 million pieces as the outbreak of war triggered widespread coin hoarding — citizens and banks alike withdrew hard money from circulation. The 1861 Indian Head Cent was produced in copper-nickel alloy at the Philadelphia Mint. CU-1c-1861-02R is cataloged in the Cuds on Coins reference system. A reverse cud forms when a portion of the reverse die rim fractures under repeated striking stress, separates from the die body, and leaves a void that fills with metal on subsequent impressions. The result is a raised featureless mass at a unique position along the coin's edge. Attribution among multiple cuds from the same date requires careful comparison of the break's position and shape against published reference images. Die varieties from Civil War dates carry reduced mintage scarcity.

External References