SHD-50c-1806-01R Shattered Die

Description

This shattered die variety on the 1806 Draped Bust Half Dollar represents an extreme form of die deterioration where the die face developed an extensive network of interconnected cracks covering a large portion of the design area, producing a web-like pattern of raised lines across the struck coin's surface. Cross-referenced as Pointed 6, Stem Through Claw (documented April 29, 2019), this reverse die shattered during the production of the Pointed 6 with Stem variety of the 1806 half dollar. The Draped Bust Half Dollar series, designed by Robert Scot with a Heraldic Eagle reverse by John Eckstein, was produced from 1796 through 1807 during the earliest years of the United States Mint when die steel technology was primitive and die life was comparatively short. Shattered dies progress through predictable stages: an initial crack forms from stress concentration, additional cracks branch from the first, and eventually the network spreads until the die face resembles fractured glass — at which point every coin struck carries the entire crack pattern as raised ridges across the surface. The Cuds on Coins catalog designates this as SHD-50c-1806-01R, indicating it is the first documented reverse shattered die for the 1806 half dollar. Early Republic coinage varieties are particularly prized because low mintages and primitive production methods make surviving examples scarce, and a shattered die specimen from this era combines variety interest with the inherent rarity of early federal silver coinage.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Michael Veltum
• Cross reference: Pointed 6, Stem Through Claw. 04/29/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References