1804 Draped Bust Half Cent (Spiked Chin) Cud

Description

A cud error accompanies the Spiked Chin variety on this 1804 Draped Bust half cent, pairing two significant die characteristics in a single coin. The cud results from a die break at the rim, leaving a raised featureless mass at the edge where the fractured die segment no longer impressed the intended design. The Spiked Chin variety itself is a well-documented die state of the 1804 half cent, identified by a prominent spike or die crack extending from Liberty's chin — a detail studied by early American copper specialists since the nineteenth century. Half cents were minted in small quantities relative to other denominations, and early American copper errors of any kind appear infrequently in the marketplace. The conjunction of a rim cud with the Spiked Chin die state makes this piece particularly notable within the half cent series. The 1804 Draped Bust half cent is catalogued in Cohen's American Half Cents and is a standard reference date for specialists in pre-federal and early U.S. copper coinage.

Attribution History

• Discovered by NumisDexDealer