1997 (P) Jefferson Nickel - RRDC-5c-1997P-01 Bisecting Rim to Rim Die Crack

Description

Documented on the 1997-P Jefferson Nickel, RRDC-5c-1997P-01 is a bisecting rim-to-rim die crack where the fracture traverses the entire die face from edge to edge. This type of crack produces a raised line spanning the full width of the coin, cutting across design elements and field areas alike. Bisecting cracks develop when progressive die fatigue — accumulated through thousands of strikes at pressures exceeding forty tons — causes a fracture to propagate from the rim inward until it reaches the opposite edge. The 1997-P nickel was produced during a period of robust mintage for the denomination, and the copper-nickel clad composition places particular stress on dies due to the alloy's hardness. Felix Schlag's Monticello reverse, in continuous use from 1938 through 2003 (and resumed in 2006), provides a consistent design framework against which die crack progression can be studied. Rim-to-rim varieties are cataloged with the RRDC prefix to distinguish them from partial die cracks that terminate within the design field.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 04/23/2020.

External References