RRDC-5c-1940S-01R Bisecting Rim to Rim Die Crack

Description

Reported on February 1, 2014, this bisecting rim-to-rim die crack traverses the entire reverse of a 1940-S Jefferson nickel, the second year of Felix Schlag's design. The crack begins just to the right of the S in PLURIBUS, enters the dome of Monticello, jags to the right, travels down the right-side main column, and exits to the right of the E in MONTICELLO. From there it continues through the T of CENT and the O of OF before terminating at the opposing rim. A bisecting die crack that spans the full diameter of the die represents an advanced stage of die failure, as the steel die has fractured completely across its face. Coins struck from bisecting-cracked dies often show slight misalignment between the two halves, as the separated die segments can shift independently under striking pressure. The 1940-S Jefferson nickel was struck at the San Francisco Mint in the original copper-nickel composition, before the wartime silver alloy substitution of 1942-1945. The crack's path through Monticello's architectural details and multiple reverse legends makes this a visually dramatic example of terminal die deterioration.

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