CU-5c-1963D-03 Cud

Description

Third documented cud error for the 1963 Denver Mint Jefferson Nickel, CU-5c-1963D-03 records a major die break at the rim where a piece of the die fractured and separated, leaving a cavity that filled with metal during striking to produce a raised featureless blob at the coin's edge. Cuds are among the most visually dramatic die errors because the affected area loses all design detail, replaced by a smooth raised mass that contrasts sharply with the surrounding normal design elements. The three documented cuds for the 1963-D date indicate that multiple die pairs experienced rim fractures during Denver's production run. The 1963 Denver Jefferson Nickel had a particularly large mintage — over 276 million pieces — reflecting the peak demand for circulating coinage before the impending silver shortage would transform U.S. coinage composition in 1965. This enormous production volume consumed many die pairs, and the mechanical stresses of high-speed striking on the relatively hard nickel alloy (75% copper, 25% nickel) concentrated stress at the die rim where the design meets the collar, making rim fractures a recurring form of die failure. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety joins the two other documented cuds for the date, providing collectors interested in Jefferson Nickel die breaks multiple attribution targets for the 1963-D issue. Felix Schlag's original design, in use since 1938, was in its twenty-fifth year of production by 1963.

External References