1960-D Jefferson Nickel CU-5c-1960D-12 to 15

Description

Encompassing four sequential cud varieties numbered 12 through 15, this catalog entry for the 1960 Denver Mint Jefferson Nickel documents a cluster of die rim breaks from a single date and mint facility. Cuds form when a section of the die rim fractures and the broken fragment separates completely, leaving a cavity that fills with metal during striking to produce a raised featureless blob along the coin's edge. Four cuds grouped under a single entry suggests these may represent different stages of the same die's deterioration, or distinct dies that each developed rim fractures during the 1960-D production run. Denver struck Jefferson Nickels in large quantities throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the sustained mechanical stress of high-volume striking made die rim fractures a predictable occurrence. The Jefferson Nickel series, featuring Felix Schlag's portrait of Thomas Jefferson and his Monticello design, had been in continuous production since 1938 and by 1960 was well into its third decade. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the CU-5c-1960D designation places this within the systematic framework that organizes cud varieties by denomination, date, and mintmark across the full spectrum of U.S. coinage.

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