CU-5c-1983P-01 Cud

Description

Documented as the first cud variety for the 1983 Philadelphia Mint Jefferson Nickel, CU-5c-1983P-01 records a major die break at the rim where a section of the die fractured and separated entirely, leaving a cavity that filled with metal during striking to produce a raised featureless mass on the finished coin. Cuds form through progressive die fatigue — the immense pressures of repeated striking concentrate stress at the die rim, where the edge geometry creates a natural weak point. Once a crack initiates at the rim, continued use drives the fracture deeper until the section breaks away. The 1983 Philadelphia Nickel bears no mintmark, as the P mintmark was not added to nickels until 1980 (though official records use the P designation). Felix Schlag's original Jefferson portrait and Monticello reverse had been in continuous production since 1938, and by 1983 the design had been struck for forty-five years across billions of coins. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety belongs to the Jefferson Nickels Original Design series (1938-2003) and represents the kind of die failure that high-volume modern production inevitably generates.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mike Diamond & Fred Weinberg
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References