CU-1c-1803-03R Cud

Description

Third reverse cud in the growing census for the 1803 Draped Bust Cent with the 100/000 fraction variety, CU-1c-1803-03R adds another documented die rim fracture to a date that has proven remarkably productive for die break research among early American large cents. The reverse of Robert Scot's Draped Bust Cent features a laurel wreath encircling the fraction 1/100 (or, on this particular variety, the anomalous 1/000), and cuds occurring near the wreath design partially obscure the delicate leaf detail that Scot engraved into each working die. Philadelphia struck approximately 3,131,691 large cents in 1803 using hand-operated screw presses, and each copper die — softer than the steel alloys used in later eras — accumulated wear and fracture damage at rates influenced by the manual nature of the striking process, where inconsistent operator force could create variable stress patterns from strike to strike. No additional cross-references exist beyond the Cuds on Coins primary designation. The concentration of multiple reverse cuds on this single 1803 die variety raises the question of whether the 100/000 fraction dies received more extensive use or documentation than other 1803 varieties, contributing to their higher representation in the cud census.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on eBay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References