CU-1c-1865-05 Cud

Description

The fifth documented cud for the 1865 Indian Head Cent, CU-05 on the Plain 5 variety demonstrates that rim die failures were persistent during this pivotal year. Five distinct cuds for a single date reflects the cumulative stress Philadelphia's coining presses placed on working dies as they adapted to the new bronze composition. Each cud represents a unique die that fractured at the rim, and the variety of break positions across CU-01 through CU-05 maps the range of stress points where die steel was most vulnerable. The Plain 5 date logotype — identifiable by its straighter, less ornamental numeral 5 — helps collectors attribute specimens to the correct die lineage. Indian Head Cents of 1865 feature James Barton Longacre's Liberty portrait wearing a feathered headdress on the obverse and an oak wreath encircling a shield on the reverse. As the first bronze year and the final year of the Civil War, 1865 occupies a unique intersection of metallurgical and historical significance. Collectors pursuing a complete cud set for this date must locate examples from both Fancy 5 and Plain 5 die families, each with its own distribution of rim breaks.

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