CU-50c-1898-01R Cud

Description

Only documented cud for the 1898 Barber Half Dollar, CU-50c-1898-01R preserves a reverse rim die break on Charles E. Barber's silver half dollar design that served American commerce from 1892 through 1915. The R suffix confirms this cud appears on the reverse — the heraldic eagle design — rather than on the obverse Liberty Head portrait. Philadelphia struck approximately 2.96 million half dollars in 1898, a production figure that seems modest by modern standards but represented substantial output for the Mint's 19th-century capacity. The 90% silver composition of these half dollars means that the vast majority of circulated specimens were eventually melted for their bullion content, particularly during the silver price spikes of the 1960s and 1980s, making surviving die varieties increasingly significant to collectors. Barber Half Dollars are among the most challenging 19th- and early 20th-century series for variety collecting because the design's relatively low relief and simplified features can make subtle die anomalies difficult to detect compared to the more intricately detailed Morgan Dollar. As the sole cataloged cud for the entire 1898 half dollar production, this variety stands alone. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no additional cross-references, CU-50c-1898-01R offers Barber Half specialists a rare documented die failure from this scarce silver series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References