CU-50c-1805-01R Cud

Description

Among the earliest American coins to exhibit a documented cud, this 1805 Draped Bust Half Dollar variety dates to an era when the Philadelphia Mint was the nation's sole coining facility and die production was a painstaking hand-engraving craft. The Draped Bust design, created by Robert Scot after a Gilbert Stuart portrait, paired a graceful depiction of Liberty on the obverse with the heraldic eagle reverse — and the "R" suffix on CU-50c-1805-01R confirms this cud formed on the reverse die. Half dollars of this period were struck on screw presses operated by hand, producing far fewer coins per die than modern power presses, yet die failure still occurred. A cud results when a rim section fractures and separates completely, allowing metal to flow into the cavity during striking. The Draped Bust Half Dollar series (1796-1807) is one of the most challenging early U.S. type coins to acquire, and die varieties on these scarce issues are tracked through the Overton numbering system. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as the first documented cud for 1805, this variety connects early American minting with modern die variety scholarship.

Attribution History

• Discovered by silentpipe on ebay
• CU-50c-1805-01R; none. 08/25/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References