1797 Draped Bust Cent - Reverse of 1795, Gripped Edge - Draped Bust Large Cent (Gripped Edge) Obverse Unusual Die Crack

Description

Five distinct die cracks radiate from the obverse rim inward toward Liberty on this 1797 Draped Bust Cent with Gripped Edge — three from the left side, one through the date below the bust, and one from the right of the bust — forming a spoke-like convergence pattern. The Gripped Edge variety has a series of indentations on the edge that look like knife cuts at right angles to the die faces, rather than the plain edge of the standard 1797 Draped Bust Cent. The 1797 Draped Bust Cent was struck when inconsistent die steel made cracking common at the early Philadelphia Mint; five cracks on a single obverse die represents severe die deterioration. The Draped Bust design by Robert Scot appeared on cents from 1796 to 1807. The spoke-pattern crack structure combined with the Gripped Edge designation makes this an early American die-failure reference piece.