1798 Draped Bust Large Cent S-172 Reverse Cud

Description

Among the earliest American coins to exhibit a documented cud die break, this 1798 Draped Bust Large Cent bearing the Sheldon S-172 attribution displays a reverse cud positioned beneath the letters "ICA" in "AMERICA," extending clockwise from that point. The cud manifests as a raised, featureless area on the struck coin where a piece of the reverse die broke away from the rim, leaving a cavity that filled with metal during subsequent strikes. This is the Second Hair Style variety of the 1798 large cent, distinguishing it from the earlier First Hair Style used on some 1798 dies. The Sheldon numbering system, established by William H. Sheldon in his landmark 1949 reference "Early American Cents," provides die pair attribution for large cents from 1793 through 1814, and S-172 identifies the specific obverse-reverse die combination on which this cud occurs. Large cents of 1798 were struck at the Philadelphia Mint — the sole operating mint facility — on substantial copper planchets approximately 29mm in diameter and weighing around 10.89 grams. Die production in this era involved hand engraving with individual letter and device punches, making each die unique and representing significant labor investment. When a rim section fractured on such a die, the Mint faced the decision of whether to retire the die immediately or continue production with the damaged die, and the existence of this cud variety demonstrates that at least some continued use occurred. The convergence of early federal mint technology, hand-engraved dies, and the physical demands of striking heavy copper planchets created conditions where rim failures were not uncommon, and surviving examples document the production realities of the infant United States Mint.

Attribution History

• Discovered by NumisDexDealer
• Sheldon S-172