1798 Draped Bust Cent - First Hair Style - SD-1c-1798-01R Split Die

Description

Recorded at Stage A on the reverse of a 1798 Draped Bust Cent, this split die documents a catastrophic die fracture on a coin from the earliest years of the United States Mint. A split die represents the most severe form of die failure short of complete die destruction: the working die has cracked entirely across its face, creating two or more sections that may shift relative to each other as striking continues. Stage A marks the early state of this split, when the crack is visible but die sections remain substantially aligned. Dies in this era were individually hand-engraved using letter punches, device punches, and hand-cut detail, making each die a unique work of craft that represented significant labor and material investment. The Philadelphia Mint — the sole coining facility — would have been reluctant to retire a cracked die until the split progressed to a point where coin quality became unacceptable. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety documents the physical limits of die steel and engraving technology in the final years of the eighteenth century.

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