CU-1C-1803-04B Cud

Description

Second sub-stage of the fourth documented cud on the 1803 Draped Bust Cent, CU-1C-1803-04B represents a progressive state of the same rim fracture recorded in CU-1C-1803-04A. The sequential A-to-B suffix indicates that this cud was documented at a later point in the die's working life, when the original fracture had expanded or evolved — a progression that allows researchers to study the mechanics of die failure in real time through surviving coins. The 1803 cent, struck in the Small Date, Large Fraction configuration, was produced exclusively at the Philadelphia Mint during a period when the young nation's single coining facility relied on hand-operated screw presses that delivered inconsistent striking force. Each impression drove the large 29mm copper planchet into die faces manufactured from crucible steel of variable quality, and the rim area — where the die meets the collar — experienced peak stress concentrations that initiated fractures propagating inward. The Draped Bust obverse, engraved by Robert Scot after a portrait attributed to Gilbert Stuart, features Liberty facing right with flowing hair and drapery across her bust. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins under cross-reference CU-1C-1803-04B, this variety demonstrates the value of sub-stage documentation in reconstructing the complete failure history of individual dies within the early American copper series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Friscomint1793 on eBay
• CU-1C-1803-04B
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References