1983 (P) Jefferson Nickel - CU-5c-1983P-18 Cud

Description

Nearly sequential with the nineteenth entry in the catalog, CU-5c-1983P-18 may originate from the same die as CU-5c-1983P-19 — or from a closely related die pair that operated during the same production window at Philadelphia. When catalog numbers fall in near-consecutive sequence, researchers compare fracture location, rim position, and break geometry to determine whether both cuds represent stages of progressive failure on one die or independent failures on two. The 1983 Philadelphia Mint Jefferson Nickel accumulated an extraordinary number of documented cuds, a testament to production scale — over 561 million pieces — and the resulting die attrition. Each cud preserves the unique fracture signature of a specific die at a specific moment in its working life, and eighteen documented rim failures from this single issue provides unusually rich data for studying how die rims deteriorate under sustained striking. Felix Schlag's Jefferson portrait, by 1983 in its forty-fifth year of production, was reproduced on die after die with each inheriting the same design but developing its own individual pattern of wear and eventual failure. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins.

External References