1937 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Primary obverse doubled die for the 1937 Buffalo nickel, WDDO-001 presents a Class VI (Distorted Die Doubling) extra thickness on LIBERTY and the date — two key obverse elements on James Earle Fraser's iconic design depicting a Native American chief on the obverse and a standing bison on the reverse. Class VI doubling occurs when the die itself distorts during use, typically from the enormous pressures required to strike coins in hard alloys like the 75% copper, 25% nickel composition used for Buffalo nickels. Unlike Classes I through V, which involve hub-to-die transfer errors during die manufacture, Class VI doubling develops during the striking process itself, making it a die-use phenomenon rather than a die-making one. Reverse die markers include abrasion scratches running through STATES, providing a secondary diagnostic for confirming the correct die pair. The Wexler Team cross-referenced this variety as CONECA: 1-O-VI and Wexler Variety ID: 1937 5¢ WDDO-001, placing it within both major attribution systems. Philadelphia struck approximately 79.49 million Buffalo nickels in 1937, the penultimate year of the series before Felix Schlag's Jefferson nickel replaced it in 1938. The "nice" qualifier in the original source description suggests the extra thickness is visually satisfying and readily confirmable — significant because Class VI varieties can sometimes be subtle enough to generate attribution uncertainty. Fraser's LIBERTY inscription, positioned across the fields to the right of the Indian chief's portrait, and the date at the lower right beneath the neck truncation provide the two diagnostic zones. Collectors should examine LIBERTY's letter strokes and the date numerals at 10-15x magnification for the thickened contours characteristic of Class VI distortion, then confirm the abrasion scratches through STATES on the reverse.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kevin Flynn Cross References: CONECA: 1-O-VI
• CONECA: 1-O-VI; Wexler Variety ID: 1937 5¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References