1902 Indian Head Cent Die Gouge FS-401 Snow-4

Description

This 1902 Indian Head cent features a die gouge variety cataloged as FS-401 in the Fivaz-Stanton Cherrypickers' Guide and Snow-4 in Rick Snow's comprehensive Indian Head cent attribution guide. The Indian Head cent, designed by James Barton Longacre and produced from 1859 through 1909, features Liberty wearing a feathered Native American headdress on the obverse and an oak wreath with shield on the reverse. The 1902 issue was struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a production run of 87,374,704 pieces, composed of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter. The key diagnostic for this variety is a prominent gouge mark appearing directly under the eye of Liberty on the obverse. Die gouges occur when a pointed or sharp object contacts the die surface during preparation, handling, or storage, creating an incuse mark on the die that produces a corresponding raised feature on every coin struck from that die. The location of this gouge directly under Liberty's eye makes it a particularly distinctive and visually identifiable variety, as the facial area of the coin is one of the first places collectors examine. Unlike die scratches, which tend to be linear, gouges typically appear as discrete impressions or depressions on the die surface, and the raised result on the struck coin often resembles a dot, bump, or irregular protrusion. The dual listing in both the Cherrypickers' Guide (FS-401) and the Snow catalog (Snow-4) confirms this as a widely recognized variety that has been independently verified by multiple numismatic authorities. Indian Head cent collectors who specialize in die varieties actively seek out gouge varieties, and the high mintage of the 1902 date provides a reasonable chance of locating examples in circulated grades through careful cherry-picking.

Attribution History

• FS-401, Snow-4