Sicherman dice are a variant of traditional 6-sided [dice] (aka the [d6]), that were developed by [George Sicherman] in 1977. They are designed to give the same results as two d6 summed together ([2d6]), but have an different set of [pip|pips] than traditional d6's.

Traditional dice have sides numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. When you roll two d6's, the [probability distribution] makes some numbers quite rare (2 and 12, for example), and others quite common (e.g., 7). Sicherman dice are numbered 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 on one [die], and 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4 on the other. When rolled as a pair, these produce exactly the same probability distribution as the traditional pair of dice.

Obviously, this only works if you are rolling a matched pair of dice. Less obviously, this is the only other set of [whole number|whole], positive [integer|integers] that will produce this probability distribution on any set of two six-sided dice.

They were initially brought to public attention by puzzlesmith [Martin Gardner] in a 1978 [Scientific American] article. These dice are only useful as a mathematical curiosity, and have no need to exist as physical objects. Needless to say, they have since been produced by a [https://mathsgear.co.uk/collections/dice/products/sicherman-dice|number] [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012YVYXK/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=78340335010851&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7gnw0d3ys7_e|of] [https://www.grand-illusions.com/sicherman-dice-c2x21140018|weirdos] around the world.

[THE IRON NODER CHALLENGE XII: We'll Rust When We're Dead|Iron Noder]