RCD-1c-1803-01R Retained Cud

Description

This retained cud appears on the reverse of the 1803 Draped Bust Cent in the Small Date, Large Fraction die marriage, one of several combinations from the Philadelphia Mint that year. Retained cuds occupy a distinctive position in die failure taxonomy: the die has fractured enough for a section to partially separate, yet the broken piece remains lodged in the press, producing coins showing both displaced design and the outline of the break. On early copper coinage, such failures are prized because hand-engraved dies and crude press technology made each die pair unique. The Small Date, Large Fraction classification refers to the size of the date numerals and the fraction 1/100 on the reverse, a system specialists use to distinguish die marriages within a single year. The 1803 Draped Bust Cent, designed by Robert Scot, represents one of the final years of this design before the Classic Head arrived in 1808. Philadelphia was the sole mint, making any documented variety from this era noteworthy.

Attribution History

• Cross reference: RCD-1c-1803-01R.

External References