CU-5c-1964D-03R Cud

Description

Third reverse cud documented for the 1964 Denver Mint Jefferson Nickel, this die break variety comes from one of the highest-mintage dates in the entire Jefferson Nickel series. Denver struck an extraordinary 1,787,297,160 nickels in 1964 — nearly 1.8 billion pieces — as the Mint scrambled to meet coin demand during the nationwide coin shortage that led Congress to authorize additional production and eventually eliminate silver from dimes and quarters in 1965. This massive output consumed an enormous number of die pairs, each of which could develop rim fractures as the dies fatigued under continuous use. The cud formed when a section of the reverse die rim fractured and separated completely, leaving a cavity that filled with metal during striking to produce a raised featureless mass. Three documented cuds from the 1964-D nickel is a modest number relative to the staggering mintage, suggesting either that quality control intercepted most die failures before they produced significant quantities of cud coins, or that the search intensity has been modest relative to the coin population. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety belongs to the original Jefferson Nickel design series that ran from 1938 through 2003.

External References