1938-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Third in the reverse doubled die census for the inaugural 1938-D Jefferson nickel, WDDR-003 displays close Class II (Distorted Hub) doubling on the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM positioned above Felix Schlag's Monticello rendering. The first-year Jefferson nickel holds special significance in the nickel series — Schlag won a public design competition in 1938, replacing James Earle Fraser's Buffalo design with a portrait of Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and his Virginia plantation home Monticello on the reverse. Denver produced approximately 5.38 million nickels in 1938, the lowest D-mint Jefferson nickel mintage and a key date that commands substantial premiums independent of any variety attribution. Obverse die markers provide an important confirmation diagnostic: a vertical die scratch visible on Jefferson's cheek to the right of his lips, creating a distinctive fingerprint for this specific working die. The reverse carries two almost parallel die scratches positioned below CENTS, offering a second independent confirmation point. Class II distorted hub doubling occurs when the hub itself is slightly warped or the die is not properly seated during the hubbing process, creating a subtle displacement that varies across the die face. The close designation indicates the primary and secondary impressions nearly overlap, producing thickened letter contours on E PLURIBUS UNUM rather than clearly separated doubled images. For a key-date coin like the 1938-D nickel, even a close spread doubled die adds significant collector appeal to an already desirable issue. Collectors should first locate the vertical die scratch on Jefferson's cheek as a quick die identification check, then examine E PLURIBUS UNUM under 15-20x magnification for the thickened letterforms characteristic of close Class II doubling.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Vertical die scratch on Jefferson's cheek to right of his lips.
• Reverse: Two almost parallel die scratches below CENTS.

External References