CU-1c-1864-06R (no L) Rim Cud

Description

Sixth documented reverse rim cud for the 1864 Indian Head Cent in the Bronze No L variety, this major die break captures the moment when a section of the reverse die rim fractured and separated completely, leaving a cavity that filled with metal during striking to create a raised featureless mass at the coin's edge. The "(no L)" designation distinguishes this from the 1864-L variety, which bears designer James B. Longacre's initial L on the ribbon behind the Indian's bonnet — the L was added partway through 1864, creating two distinct subtypes for the year. The 1864 date is pivotal in Indian Head Cent history: it marks the transition from copper-nickel to bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc), a change driven by the wartime hoarding crisis that had drained copper-nickel cents from circulation. The thinner, lighter bronze planchets required different striking characteristics that may have contributed to die stress and rim failures. Six documented rim cuds for a single date and variety represents significant die rim attrition, consistent with the high production volumes at the Philadelphia Mint during the Civil War era when the Union's financial system demanded enormous quantities of small change. Rim cuds on Civil War-era Indian Head Cents are collected as a distinct specialty, documenting the production challenges faced by the Philadelphia Mint during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.

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