CU-5c-1970D-09 Cud

Description

Rounding out a remarkable cluster, this ninth documented cud for the 1970 Denver Jefferson Nickel makes the date one of the most thoroughly cataloged for rim die breaks in the entire nickel denomination. Nine distinct dies failing at the rim from a single date and mint is an unusually high concentration that reflects the intersection of high production volume, aggressive die utilization, and active collector scrutiny. Cataloged as CU-5c-1970D-09 by Cuds on Coins, the variety documents a major die break where a rim fragment separated entirely, leaving a cavity that produced a raised featureless mass on subsequently struck coins. The progressive numbering from -07 through -09 does not necessarily indicate chronological order of die failure — rather, it reflects the sequence in which these varieties were reported and cataloged. By 1970, the Jefferson Nickel design had been in production for thirty-two years, and the Denver Mint's die shop had refined its processes considerably since the design's introduction, yet rim failures remained an inherent risk of the high-speed coining process that no amount of refinement could entirely eliminate.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Bock
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References