CU-1c-1864-08 & 09 (no L) Rim Cud

Description

Cataloged as CU-1c-1864-08 & 09, this Indian Head Cent rim cud spans two clock positions (8 o'clock and 9 o'clock) on the "No L" bronze variety of 1864. The year 1864 marked a pivotal transition for the Indian Head Cent series: mid-year, the composition changed from copper-nickel to a thinner bronze planchet, and designer James B. Longacre's initial "L" was added to the ribbon behind the Indian's neck. "No L" specimens represent the earlier bronze strikes before the initial was incorporated into the die. A rim cud forms when a piece of the die breaks away at its edge, leaving a raised, unstruck blob of metal on the coin's rim where the missing die fragment no longer imparts design detail. Multi-position cuds spanning two clock positions indicate a substantial die fracture, as the break extended across roughly sixty degrees of the die's circumference. The 8-9 o'clock location places this cud on the left side of the obverse, in the area near the lower portion of the Indian's portrait. Bronze Indian Head Cents from 1864 without the L are collected as a distinct variety, and examples bearing significant die breaks add mechanical error interest to an already notable issue.

External References