1917 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Class IV spread directed northwest on E PLURIBUS UNUM and the second A in AMERICA characterizes WDDR-003 on the 1917 Buffalo Nickel, with additional doubling visible on the bison's underside — a less commonly affected area broadening the diagnostic scope. The northwest-directed offset hub doubling created secondary impressions displaced up and to the left of the primary design, producing the characteristic shadow effect of Class IV doubled dies. A die chip at the top right of the S in CENTS serves as a confirming die marker independent of the doubling itself. Photography for this variety was contributed by Brian Ribar. Attributed by the Wexler Team and cataloged as 1917 5c WDDR-003, this business strike was produced at Philadelphia during a year of substantial output as the nation mobilized for World War I. James Earle Fraser's Buffalo Nickel, with its raised bison on the reverse, creates complex surface topology where hub doubling manifests differently than on flatter designs — the bison's three-dimensional contours make doubling on the animal's underside particularly challenging to detect without directed examination.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Wayne Carson Cross References: None known Comments: The photos for this variety were taken by Brian Ribar.
• None known Comments: The photos for this variety were taken by Brian Ribar.; Wexler Variety ID: 1917 5¢ WDDR-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References