CU-5c-1974D-01 Cud

Description

First in the documented sequence of Denver Mint Jefferson nickel cuds for 1974, CU-5c-1974D-01 preserves evidence of a die rim fracture that occurred during one of the largest nickel production runs of the decade. Cross-referenced as JNC-74D-1 in the Jefferson Nickel Cuds registry, this variety has been independently cataloged and confirmed. Denver produced 277.4 million nickels in 1974, a substantial output driven by the economic dynamics of the early 1970s, when inflation and the end of the Bretton Woods system were reshaping American monetary policy. While five-cent coins retained their traditional copper-nickel composition throughout this period, the sheer volume of production placed sustained pressure on die inventories. Rim cuds form at the most structurally vulnerable point on any die: the sharp outer edge where the die face meets the collar and where stress concentrates during each strike cycle. When that edge fractures and a piece breaks free, the void fills with metal from the next planchet, creating a raised featureless area that extends from the rim inward. The "01" designation means this was the first cud documented for the 1974-D nickel, establishing the baseline for what would become a multi-variety cud census for this date. Felix Schlag's obverse portrait and Monticello reverse, both in use since 1938, were entering their thirty-sixth year of production -- a longevity that reflects the design's enduring acceptability despite periodic calls for modernization that would not bear fruit until the Westward Journey program of 2004.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Cross reference number: JNC-74D-1.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References