1935 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Strong extra thickness on LIBERTY and the date distinguishes this primary doubled die obverse for the 1935 Philadelphia Mint Buffalo Nickel, cataloged by VarietyVista as DDO-001 with die markers UVC-138 and DMR-003. The die progresses through three documented stages: Stage A in Early Die State (unconfirmed), Stage B where both obverse and reverse are in Mid Die State, and Stage C in Late Die State (unconfirmed). Doubled die obverses on Buffalo Nickels form when the hub impression is applied to the die more than once with a slight misalignment between impressions, transferring a doubled image that appears on every coin struck from that die. The "strong extra thickness" description indicates the doubling manifests as noticeably thickened design elements rather than clearly separated secondary images — a characteristic of close-spread Class V pivoted hub doubling or Class III design hub doubling. James Earle Fraser's iconic Indian Head and Buffalo design was in its twenty-third year of production in 1935, and the Philadelphia Mint struck 58,264,000 nickels that year. As the primary listed doubled die obverse (DDO-001) for the date, this variety holds particular significance among Buffalo Nickel variety specialists. The three-stage die state documentation provides collectors with a framework for identifying early, middle, and late die state specimens.

Die Markers

• UVC-138
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References