1875 Indian Head Cent Repunched Date FS-303 Snow-3

Description

Designated FS-303 in the Cherrypickers' Guide and Snow-3 in Rick Snow's reference, this 1875 Indian Head Cent features a repunched date where the digits 18 are repunched under the 18 in the date — the initial punch impression sits below the final date position, creating visible doubling on the first two digits. This variety is similar in character to the FS-301 repunched date for the same year but originates from a different die pair, as confirmed by distinct die characteristics and different Snow die numbers. While both FS-301 and FS-303 show the 18 repunched below the final position, they are attributed as separate varieties because each was produced from its own individual working die that independently experienced a comparable date punching error. This is the third of three attributed repunched date varieties known for the 1875 date (FS-301, FS-302, and FS-303), documenting three separate occasions where Philadelphia Mint engravers misaligned the date logotype during die preparation for the 1875 production year. The Indian Head Cent was designed by James Barton Longacre, with the obverse showing Liberty in a feathered headdress and the reverse displaying a wreath with shield. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1875 in bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) at 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter, this coin dates from the Reconstruction era. The existence of three separate repunched date varieties for a single year illustrates the inherent imprecision of manual date punching, where each working die required its own individual application of the four-digit date logotype — a process where even experienced engravers occasionally misaligned the initial punch strike.

Attribution History

• FS-303, Snow-3