1798 Draped Bust Large Cent (First Hair Style) Reverse Cud

Description

Among the earliest American coins to exhibit a documented cud die break, this 1798 Draped Bust Large Cent of the First Hair Style variety carries a reverse cud where a section of the die rim near "STATES" broke away, leaving a raised featureless area on the struck coin. The First Hair Style designation refers to the more elaborate arrangement of Liberty's curls in the Draped Bust design by Robert Scot, distinguishing it from the simplified hair style adopted later. Cuds form when a piece of the die rim fractures and separates completely, and the resulting cavity fills with metal during striking to produce a distinctive raised mass devoid of design detail. The available images document various stages of the cud's life, showing the progression of the die break from early to advanced states — a valuable record of die failure on coinage struck under the primitive conditions of the early Philadelphia Mint, which relied on hand-operated screw presses and relatively soft copper die steel. Large cents of this era were substantial coins weighing approximately 10.89 grams at 29mm diameter, and the Draped Bust design was in its third year of production when this 1798 specimen was struck. A section of the reverse die along the rim just outside of "STATES" broke away, leaving a raised, featureless area on the struck coin.

Attribution History

• Discovered by NumisDexDealer