CU-5c-1979-03 Cud

Description

Third cataloged cud on the 1979 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel, CU-5c-1979-03 records another die rim fracture on a date that has proven notably productive for die break research. Three documented cuds for a single date-mint on Jefferson Nickels indicates either a systematic vulnerability in the die manufacturing process for this issue or, more likely, focused collector attention that has systematically documented breaks that exist on many dates but remain unrecorded. Felix Schlag's original Jefferson portrait and Monticello reverse, unchanged since the design's 1938 introduction except for minor modifications, had been in production for forty-one years by 1979. Philadelphia's nickel production in the late 1970s was substantial, consuming hundreds of die pairs at high-speed striking rates where each die absorbed millions of impacts before failure. Die rim fractures on nickels produce characteristically well-defined cuds because the copper-nickel alloy composition and the denomination's moderate striking pressure create clean separation surfaces. No additional cross-references exist beyond the primary Cuds on Coins designation. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, CU-5c-1979-03 adds to the systematic documentation of die failure patterns on Jefferson Nickels, a denomination whose long production history and massive output provide abundant raw material for die break research.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jon Sullivan
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References