CU-5c-1970D-02 Cud

Description

Second documented rim cud for the 1970-D Jefferson nickel, CU-5c-1970D-02 is cross-referenced as JNC-70D-4 in the Jefferson nickel cud cataloging system maintained alongside the Cuds on Coins database. This cross-reference indicates independent verification and places the variety within a broader die break census for the 1970 Denver issue. The Denver Mint struck 515.5 million Jefferson nickels in 1970, one of the higher annual outputs for the denomination during that decade, a volume that required extensive die usage and correspondingly increased the probability of die rim failures. Rim cuds on Jefferson nickels form when a section of hardened die steel fractures at the rim edge, creating a void that fills with metal during subsequent strikes. The resulting raised, featureless blob on the finished coin marks the exact location where the die fragment separated. Because nickel-alloy planchets (75% copper, 25% nickel) are harder than copper cent planchets, the striking force required to produce a fully detailed nickel coin is higher, placing greater mechanical stress on the die rims and potentially contributing to fracture propagation. Felix Schlag's Jefferson portrait obverse and Monticello reverse were approaching their fourth decade of production by 1970, and while the basic designs remained unchanged, die preparation techniques had evolved to incorporate chrome plating and other surface treatments intended to extend die life. Despite these improvements, rim failures continued as an inherent risk of high-speed coinage production. Collectors pursuing a Jefferson nickel cud collection spanning the 1938-2003 original design era will find the 1970-D date represented by multiple distinct cud varieties.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Cross reference number: JNC-70D-4
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References