1817 Matron Head Large Cent N-2 Reverse Split Die

Description

Large cents of the Matron Head type, produced from 1816 through 1839, represent the evolving portrait style of post-War of 1812 American coinage. The 1817 Matron Head Large Cent N-2, cataloged under the Newcomb classification system, is distinguished by a dramatic reverse split die — a crack traversing the entire diameter from rim to rim. The crack enters between the N and I of UNITED, passes through the wreath and ONE CENT legend, and exits between OF and AMERICA, effectively bisecting the reverse design. Reverse split dies result from extreme internal stress fracturing the die steel completely through, producing a crack that can shift over time and eventually cause the die face to separate. The N-2 die pairing recorded a mintage of approximately 3,948,400 coins — a substantial run that nonetheless left split-die survivors as a small fraction. Newcomb classification assigns each large cent variety a sequential N-number based on die pairings; N-2 is the second recognized die marriage for the 1817 date. A die crack extends completely across the reverse die from rim to rim, leaving a raised line spanning the full diameter of the coin. In this case, the die crack extends from between the "N" and "I" in "UNITED" through the wreath and "ONE CENT" and passing to the other rim between "OF" and "AMERICA." The 1817 is one of the more common dates in the Matron Head series, with 3,948,400 struck, but examples with severe die failures like split dies are scarce.

Attribution History

• Discovered by NumisDexDealer
• Newcomb N-2