Regarding the reverse... it's possible those blobs between the stripes might be cuds. Most people think of cuds as being on the rim. They usually are, but not always. For another example of internal cuds, check out this listing in the upcoming Heritage auction... http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=1145&hdnJumpToLot=1&Lot_No=3651&x=0&y=0 There's a big cud just below the horizontal stripes on the eagle's shield,
900 actually, the definition of a cud involves the rim. It involves the breaking away of the rim to leave a space where the design is not struck, in the absence of the die (segment). If the design is still there then it may be a retained cud. But, it must involve the rim. Otherwise it is a die chip, clash, or what ever.
Thanks, Frank ! Dictionary.com defines "cud" as "food brought up into the mouth by a ruminating animal from its first stomach to be chewed again" :foot-mouth: :rollling:
The Heritage description on the link above mentions "The present coin is an example of the scarce O-120a variety, easily recognized by the cud in the shield stripes on the reverse." Terminology is important, but rather than split hairs on the terms, I just want to offer the idea that the OP 50c might have been struck from a die missing some chunks, and that's what gives the blobby look between the gules. In any event, it appears to be as made by the Mint. Folks who have The Book on seated halves can chime in; hopefully, there are some die state notes therein.
The PCGS definition says "if on the edge", which suggests a cud can be on the inside of the design (certainly less common than edge cuds). In any event, if it is from a die missing some chunks, it's not an error coin. It's interesting from a Die State perspective (which I personally find more interesting than die varieties).
The way I read it, the position is not pertinent, but the cause is. The die must be broken as opposed to dented or otherwise damaged. I would think it rather unusual to have a hole broken in the middle of a die, but that would be called a cud regardless. It would be far more common to break a piece off the edge of a die (only 2 sides are attached while the middle has all 4 sides attached). Thus the common "belief" that it must include the edge.
That makes sense, RLM. Now, we're into the mechanics and engineering of the whole thing, and I think you're right... mechanically, it seems that a cud breakaway is much more likely on the rim. Here is an interesting coin with a tiny little interior cud on an interior crack... the cud is like a little dot near the tip of the bust. Note that the die crack does not propagate to (or from) the rim.
