1924 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

First documented doubled die obverse for the 1924 Buffalo Nickel, DDO-001 displays a light spread on the eyelid and nostril of the Native American portrait — James Earle Fraser's iconic obverse design that has come to symbolize the American West. The VarietyVista classification assigns UVC-256 and die marriage reference DMR-002, with three die stages identified: Stage A where both obverse and reverse are in early die state, Stage B in middle die state (unconfirmed), and Stage C in late die state (also unconfirmed). As the founding DDO entry for the 1924 date, this variety holds the -001 sequence number that establishes the baseline for doubled die research on this particular issue. The eyelid and nostril are among the finest details on Fraser's Native American portrait, and their sensitivity to hub displacement makes them reliable diagnostic zones for detecting doubled dies that might be imperceptible on broader design elements. The 1924 Philadelphia Mint Buffalo Nickel had a mintage of approximately 21.6 million pieces, a moderate figure that ensured broad distribution. Buffalo Nickels were struck from 1913 through 1938, and the series' high-relief design placed considerable stress on dies during production, potentially contributing to the conditions under which hub doubling occurred. Cataloged by VarietyVista, DDO-001 demonstrates that even subtle die varieties on early twentieth-century nickel coinage reward the patient examiner who studies the finest details of Fraser's masterful design.

Die Markers

• UVC-256
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lewis Fletcher
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References