1944-S Jefferson with Bisecting Reverse Die Crack

So I've been educating myself on war nickels while looking for a nice example for the type set. I had set the target as MS-67 or PF-67 if they met my eye appeal requirements. A couple of weeks ago I saw the subject nickel in an auction. It didn't meet any of my criteria but the bisecting die crack on the reverse piqued my interest. Put in the minimum bid and won it last night. This won't be my type set example but I think it's neat.

I just don't recall ever seeing such a dramatic die crack - or really any die cracks - on war nickels. How prevalent are they?

Seller's photos, don't have it in hand yet.

 

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Very nice.

 

This is very common on this date and mm

RRDC-5c-1944S-01R is the number of the first 44 S the second is RRDC-5C-1944S -02R
Yours is the first one pup on reverse on the obv. The crack across the bottom of Tom's bust.

 

They are pretty common, I sold this one yesterday on eBay. It resided in my "homemade" NGC War Nickel Registry Set but was replaced recently by a full step example. I dubbed this coin the $and Dollar Nickel.





Btw, there are more than one set of reverse dies that developed a crack that bisected the mintmark. Not all of them bisect the entire coin, but even that isn't really rare.

 

It also bears mentioning, that the full step example that bumped the coin shown above also has the same bisecting die crack.






Btw, I am not sure what is holding your coin back from MS67, it looks very clean to me.

 

Good to see you post Larry definitely a good sign by me ..... hope your resting confortable.

 

What stunning coins!

 

I love these cracks my one regret was selling one of these...
Alan from Coinzip purchased it frrom me....I buy it back in a NY second.

 

Interesting that both your coins have the exact same bisecting die crack, whereas mine is a different crack. That means that at least two different 1944-S reverse dies developed full cracks across the die and at close, but not quite the same, locations.

 

There are like 6 1942 s nickels with the crack 3 of 1943 P. 2 of 1944 S make a neat sub set to obtain all.

 

http://cuds-on-coins.com/rim-to-rim-die-cracks-on-u-s-coins-2/

 

Paddy, what reference are you using? I don't have anything on Jefferson nickels.

 

Wow, that baby is ready to split right down the middle!

 

Year it was an a 64 L Too! Its a $500+/- variety or more.

I my memory serves me i believe that Larry has an 1836 dime split down the middle.

 

Thanks for everyone's interest! I learned a good bit and got a new on-line reference. My day is good!

 

http://cuds-on-coins.com/rim-to-opposing-rim-die-cracks/

 

Excellent ! Fascinating thread.

 

It looks like a lightning bolt

 

cool coin and interesting discussion.

 

There should be others of these, as that came off that obverse die. I have to check ours.