CU-5c-1970S-10 Cud

Description

While the Denver Mint produced nine documented cuds for the 1970 Jefferson Nickel, the San Francisco Mint contributed its own die failures — and this tenth cataloged cud for 1970-S demonstrates that rim fractures were not exclusive to any single facility. The S mint mark distinguishes this variety from the cluster of D-mint cuds, and the different mint means different dies, different presses, and potentially different die steel batches, yet the same fundamental failure mode. San Francisco's role in 1970 nickel production was smaller than Denver's, making cuds from the S mint comparatively scarcer. CU-5c-1970S-10, cataloged by Cuds on Coins, records a major die break at the rim where the separated fragment left a cavity that filled with metal during striking. Ten cataloged cuds for 1970-S indicates substantial collector examination of San Francisco's output from this year. The variety belongs to the Jefferson Nickels Original Design 1938-2003 series. In 1970, the San Francisco Mint was transitioning its focus toward proof production, making business-strike varieties from this era an interesting footnote in the facility's evolving role.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Troy Moxley
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References