SD-1c-1798-01R Split Die

Description

Recorded at Stage A on the reverse of a 1798 Draped Bust Cent in the First Hair Style configuration, this split die variety documents a catastrophic die fracture on a coin from the earliest years of the United States Mint. Unlike its Reverse of 1795 counterpart (which used the Second Hair Style designation), this split die occurred on a die paired with the First Hair Style obverse — a distinction that reflects the complex die marriage tracking necessary for Draped Bust large cents, where obverse and reverse dies were paired and repaired across multiple production runs. A split die represents the most severe form of die failure short of complete die destruction: the working die has cracked entirely across its face, creating two or more sections that may shift relative to each other as striking continues. Stage A indicates the earliest documented state of this split, when the crack is visible but die sections remain substantially aligned. The First Hair Style for the Draped Bust design, attributed to Robert Scot based on a Gilbert Stuart drawing, features a different arrangement of Liberty's curls compared to the later Second Hair Style revision. Dies in this era were individually hand-engraved using letter punches, device punches, and hand-cut detail, making each die a unique work of craft that represented significant labor and material investment. The Philadelphia Mint — the sole coining facility — would have been reluctant to retire a cracked die until the split progressed to a point where coin quality became unacceptable. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety documents the physical limits of die steel and engraving technology in the final years of the eighteenth century.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on ebay
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References