RRDC-5c-1950-01R Bisecting Rim to Rim Die Crack

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as RRDC-5c-1950-01R and documented on February 1, 2014, this 1950 Jefferson Nickel exhibits a bisecting rim-to-rim die crack on the reverse — a complete structural fracture that traverses the entire die face from one edge to the other, dividing the die into two segments held together only by the die collar and mounting hardware. The crack path traces through the second U in PLURIBUS, descends into the dome of Monticello, continues through the C of MONTICELLO and the E of CENT, and exits between the words STATES and OF — a diagonal trajectory that crosses multiple major design elements and inscriptions across the reverse face. Bisecting die cracks are among the most dramatic forms of die failure because they represent a complete structural compromise of the die’s integrity, yet production often continued because the collar held the fractured segments in alignment sufficiently to produce acceptable strikes. No external cross-references to other cataloging systems are known for this variety. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag with the Monticello reverse, struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1950 in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a 21.21 mm diameter. The 1950-P had a notably low mintage of approximately 9.8 million business strikes — the lowest regular-issue mintage in the Jefferson series — making any die variety from this date-mint combination particularly interesting to collectors. The bisecting crack’s path through Monticello’s architectural dome provides a visually striking specimen where the linear fracture contrasts with the building’s curved roofline, creating an immediately recognizable diagnostic pattern.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kristen Naylor
• Cross reference: none. The die crack can be seen through the second U in PLURIBUS, down into the dome of Monticello, through the C of MONTICELLO, the E of CENT and exiting between the words STATES and OF. 02/01/2014.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References