CU-5c-1972D-02 Cud

Description

Carrying the JNC-72D-5 cross-reference in the Jefferson Nickel Cuds registry, CU-5c-1972D-02 records the second rim die break cataloged for the 1972-D Jefferson nickel by Cuds on Coins. Denver's 1972 nickel output reached 351.7 million pieces, a production level that demanded continuous die rotation and generated the statistical likelihood of multiple rim failures across the year's die inventory. The JNC designation "72D-5" indicates this was the fifth Jefferson nickel cud documented for the 1972-D date in that registry, even though Cuds on Coins assigned it the "-02" suffix, reflecting the different submission timelines between the two cataloging organizations. By the early 1970s, the Jefferson nickel had been in production for over three decades, and the combination of well-established die manufacturing routines with steadily increasing output volumes created conditions that produced a consistent stream of cud varieties. The copper-nickel alloy planchet (75% copper, 25% nickel) used for the five-cent denomination is among the harder compositions in the U.S. coinage lineup, placing greater stress on dies per strike than the softer copper alloy used for cents. This hardness differential partially explains why Jefferson nickel cuds are well represented in die break censuses relative to the denomination's overall mintage. Collectors who systematically search rolls and bags of circulated nickels from this era can still occasionally encounter cud varieties, though the specific CU-5c-1972D-02 may require targeted searching given the billions of 1972-D nickels that were produced and circulated without die break errors.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Fred Weinberg
• Cross reference number: JNC-72D-5.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References