RRDC-5c-1942S-01R Bisecting Rim to Rim Die Crack

Description

Documented by Cuds on Coins with a catalog date of February 1, 2014, this 1942-S Jefferson Nickel exhibits a bisecting rim-to-rim die crack on its reverse die — a dramatic structural failure where a single continuous fracture traverses the entire diameter of the die, entering at one rim and exiting at the opposing rim. The crack's path traces a detailed route through multiple design elements: it starts at the rim above the second U in PLURIBUS, passes through the S mintmark area, enters the dome of Monticello, jogs to the right to exit the building to the left of the E in the word MONTICELLO, continues downward through the N of CENT and the O of OF, and terminates at the opposing rim. This continuous fracture path bisecting the die from north to south effectively divided the reverse die into two halves, with continued production creating a raised ridge of metal along the entire crack path on every coin struck. Bisecting die cracks represent one of the most severe forms of die structural failure short of complete die separation, as the die is held together only by the die collar and the inherent compression during striking. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag and struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1942. This 1942-S issue was struck in the standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a 21.21 mm diameter — noting that the wartime silver alloy was not introduced until partway through 1942 production. The extensive geographic coverage of this crack through the mintmark, architectural detail, and multiple inscription elements makes it an exceptionally well-documented example of bisecting die failure in the Jefferson Nickel series.

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