1802 Draped Bust Cent - CU-1c-1802-03 Cud

Description

CU-1c-1802-03 preserves evidence of a rim fracture on an 1802 Draped Bust Large Cent. The Draped Bust design, attributed to portraitist Gilbert Stuart and engraved by Robert Scot, was produced on large copper planchets that weighed approximately 10.89 grams — significantly heavier than modern cents. Cuds form when a section of the die rim fractures and separates entirely from the die body, leaving a cavity that fills with copper under the tremendous pressure of the coining press, resulting in a raised featureless mass at the coin's edge. No cross-references to other attribution systems are currently known for this variety, and it is cataloged by Cuds on Coins with the expert designation noting no additional die markers. Early American copper coinage from the 1790s and 1800s was produced under challenging conditions at the original Philadelphia Mint facility on Seventh Street, where hand-operated screw presses generated inconsistent striking force and dies were manufactured through laborious hand-engraving processes that made each one unique. The 1802 Draped Bust Cent had an estimated mintage of approximately 3.44 million pieces, though survival rates in collectible condition are modest.

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