1937-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Documented with photographs by renowned die variety author Kevin Flynn and cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1937-S 5¢ WDDO-001, this final-year Buffalo Nickel from the San Francisco Mint displays Class VI extra thickness on LIBERTY and the date. Class VI designates distorted hub doubling — a mechanism distinct from the more common rotated or tilted hub classes — where the working hub itself became distorted, typically through heat treatment or prolonged service, before impressing the working die. This distortion produces a characteristic broadening of design elements that differs in geometry from offset doubling: rather than creating a cleanly shifted secondary image, the distorted hub generates thickened or slightly warped features that may vary in degree across different areas of the die face. On James Earle Fraser's iconic Buffalo Nickel obverse, LIBERTY is positioned to the right of the Native American portrait and the date sits at the base — two areas where the Class VI extra thickness manifests as visibly heavier letter strokes and broader numerals compared to a normal 1937-S specimen. The 1937 production run marked the absolute final year of the Buffalo Nickel series (1913-1938 inclusive, with no 1938-dated Buffalo Nickels produced for circulation), and 1937-S carries semi-key date status due to its relatively modest mintage. WDDO-001's primary catalog position makes it the most significant documented obverse hub doubling for this terminal San Francisco Mint issue. Struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel, the extra thickness on LIBERTY and the date is best confirmed by direct side-by-side comparison with a known normal specimen under 7x magnification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kevin Flynn Cross References: None known Comments: The photos of this variety were taken by Kevin Flynn.
• None known Comments: The photos of this variety were taken by Kevin Flynn.; Wexler Variety ID: 1937-S 5¢ WDDO-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References