CU-5c-1961D-02 Cud

Description

Second cud cataloged for the 1961 Denver Jefferson Nickel, indicating this date-mint combination produced at least two distinct die rim fractures across its production run. Denver struck approximately 229 million nickels in 1961, subjecting each die pair to millions of striking cycles that progressively weakened rim integrity until fracture occurred. First documented on November 1, 2017, by Cuds on Coins with no additional cross-references. Having two cuds for the same date and mint provides comparative data on die failure patterns — whether both breaks occurred at similar rim positions (suggesting a design-related stress concentration) or at different locations (indicating random fatigue failure). Felix Schlag's Jefferson portrait and the Monticello reverse each create specific relief transitions at the rim that influence where fractures initiate. The second cud designation (02) distinguishes this from CU-5c-1961D-01, which was cataloged four years earlier in 2013 — the gap between discovery dates illustrating how cud research continues to uncover new varieties from dates already represented in the catalog.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Siegfried
• Cross reference: none. 11/1/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References