Variety Summary
The obverse appears to be fresh, but is paired with a highly degraded reverse. I may hypothesize that the reverse working die may have been flawed and, as a result, degraded under the forces of minting well before the expected die life. The severe die crack from 4:00 to 7:00 warrants this variety being included in the severly cracked dies index. Prior and subsequent die states need to be located to confirm this author’s theory of a flawed working die and to ascertain if the reverse degrades further. Comments by David Poliquin.
Additional Notes
Obverse
Obverse has only been observed with no die cracks.
Reverse
Reverse is observed with the following cracks:
1. Die crack from the rim at 12:30 and into the top right of the shield.
2. Radial die crack from 7:00, into the arrow quill and olive leaves towards E of CENT.
Later die state has now become severely cracked with the formation of additional die cracks, with the heaviest located between 4:00 and 7:00:
1. Die crack from the rim at 1:30, through the wreath and into the right side of the shield, where it continues downward through the shield towards N of ONE.
2. Heavy die crack from the rim at 4:00 and continuing along the middle arrow head and shaft to the lowest olive leaf. Radial die crack originates from this die crack at the middle arrow head and approaches the T of CENT.
3. Die crack from the rim at 8:30 into the wreath.
4. Radial die crack from the the rim at 9:30 extending towards the O of ONE. Die crack in the wreath connects this die crack with the die crack in #2.