1934 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Holding the -001 position in the Wexler files for the 1934 Buffalo nickel, WDDO-001 represents the primary doubled die obverse cataloged for this date, attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID 1934 5c WDDO-001 with no other known cross-references. James Earle Fraser's iconic Buffalo nickel obverse — featuring a composite Native American portrait facing right, with LIBERTY inscribed vertically along the right rim and the date positioned below — provides a high-relief canvas where hub doubling can manifest on the profile contours, feather details, and inscriptions. The 1934 Philadelphia Buffalo nickel mintage of 20,213,003 places this issue in the moderate-production range for the series, which ran from 1913 through 1938. By 1934, the Buffalo nickel design had been in service for over two decades, and the Mint's die production process involved transferring designs from master hubs to working hubs to working dies through a series of pressure impressions — each transfer point representing an opportunity for misalignment. The -001 catalog designation typically indicates either the first variety discovered or the most prominent for a given date, and its presence confirms that at least one Buffalo nickel working die from 1934 received a detectably misaligned secondary hub impression on its obverse face. Collectors of Buffalo nickel varieties operate within a smaller census than Jefferson nickel specialists, making each cataloged entry proportionally more significant to the series' variety landscape. The high relief of Fraser's design, while beautiful, also contributed to rapid die wear and shorter die life, compressing the window during which a doubled die could produce struck examples before the die was retired.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1934 5¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References