1930 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-003

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1930 5¢ WDDO-003, this Buffalo Nickel from the Philadelphia Mint displays a close Class IV spread directed to the east on the digits 193 in the date — affecting the first three numerals while the final zero shows no detectable doubling. No significant die markers have been noted on either the obverse or reverse, meaning attribution relies on the spread characteristics and their precise location on the date. Class IV designates offset hub doubling, where the working hub is laterally displaced between impressions without rotation, producing a uniformly directional shift. The eastward (rightward) direction means the secondary hub impression shifted each affected numeral slightly to the right, creating doubled images that sit to the right of the primary digits. The "close" proximity classification indicates the offset was narrow — the separation between primary and secondary images is tight enough to require careful examination rather than being immediately obvious. The selective involvement of 193 but not the terminal 0 is diagnostically significant: it indicates either that the displacement magnitude varied across the date's width or that the final digit's position on the die face fell at a point where the offset dropped below the detectability threshold, leaving the 0 visually normal. On James Earle Fraser's iconic Buffalo Nickel obverse, the date is positioned on a slightly raised mound at the base below the Native American portrait — a design feature notorious for rapid wear that often obscures the date on circulated specimens. The 1930 Philadelphia issue carries a healthy mintage, but WDDO-003's subtle close spread requires a specimen with minimal date wear for proper attribution. Examination under 10x magnification at the 9 and 3 digits best reveals the eastward offset.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Leroy Van Allen Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1930 5¢ WDDO-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References