1783 Washington & Independence - Small Bust Grained Edge Cent

Coin Details

Description

Combining a small bust portrait of George Washington with a grained (reeded) edge treatment, this 1783 cent from the Washington & Independence series represents a specific die marriage and edge variety within one of the earliest American coin series to feature the nation's first president. The "small bust" type uses a more delicate, smaller-scale portrait of Washington compared to the larger "draped bust" variants in the series, and the grained edge — produced by a collar with vertical ridges during striking — adds a distinctive tactile and visual feature that distinguishes this variety from plain-edge specimens of the same die combination. Cataloged as Baker 2A in W.S. Baker's definitive 1885 reference on Washington medals, Musante GW-104A in the modern Musante catalog system, and Whitman 10315, this piece carries triple cross-referencing across the major Washington numismatic catalogs. Classified as scarce, with the small bust grained edge being less common than the draped bust types, this cent documents the experimental phase of Washington-themed coinage during the early 1780s, when various designs and formats were being explored — possibly as proposals for a national coinage featuring the president's likeness, a concept that Washington himself reportedly opposed. The Washington & Independence pieces bearing the 1783 date are generally attributed to English manufacture, likely produced at facilities in Birmingham that specialized in token and medal production for overseas markets. The grained edge represents an additional step in the production process, requiring a restraining collar that not only shaped the edge but also helped produce more uniform and fully struck specimens.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The small bust grained edge is less common than the draped bust types.

Cross References

Baker 2A; Musante GW-104A; Whitman 10315