CU-5c-1940S-3 Cud

Description

Listed at Stage B by Cuds on Coins and cross-referenced as JNC-40S-2A in the Jefferson Nickel Cud reference system, this third cataloged cud for the 1940-S Jefferson Nickel documents a rim die break at a specific point in the die's production sequence. The Stage B designation indicates this is not the earliest state of the die break — Stage A would represent the initial appearance of the break, and Stage B shows the break after further use, potentially with the cud area enlarged or the surrounding die surface showing additional wear. The "2A" suffix in the JNC cross-reference further specifies a sub-stage within the Jefferson Nickel Cud cataloging system's own classification framework. The 1940-S Jefferson Nickel was struck at the San Francisco Mint in standard copper-nickel composition (75% Cu, 25% Ni) at 5.0 grams, as the wartime silver alloy substitution would not begin until mid-1942. Felix Schlag's Jefferson Nickel design had been in production for only two years by 1940, having debuted in 1938 as the replacement for the Buffalo Nickel, and the relatively new dies were being manufactured for a design whose die-making specifications were still being refined in the early years of production. Three cataloged cuds for a single date-mint from 1940 suggests either that die quality in the early Jefferson Nickel production period was susceptible to rim fractures, or that this particular date-mint has received thorough examination by die break specialists. The rim cud produces the characteristic raised featureless mass at the coin's edge.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Cross reference number: JNC-40S-2A
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References