1939 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-006

Description

Carrying the RDV-001 "Wavy Steps" reverse — a die variety where the steps leading to Monticello's entrance appear wavy rather than straight — DDO-006 of the 1939 Jefferson Nickel adds reverse die variety interest to its obverse doubled die classification. The obverse shows light spread on IN GOD WE TRUST with very light spread on LIBERTY, the star, and the date, creating a two-tier intensity pattern where the motto carries clearer doubling than the peripheral legend and devices. Philadelphia struck 120.6 million nickels in 1939, the second year of Felix Schlag's design, and die markers UVC-625 and DMR-021 identify this specific die. The Wavy Steps designation (RDV-001) versus Straight Steps (RDV-002) is one of the foundational reverse die variety distinctions in Jefferson Nickel collecting, and knowing which reverse accompanies each DDO variety helps specialists reconstruct die marriages and production sequences. Six documented DDO varieties for the 1939 Philadelphia issue indicates robust research on this early date. The two-tier intensity — light on the motto, very light on LIBERTY, star, and date — suggests the motto sat farther from the hub's pivot point and received greater displacement, while the peripheral elements near LIBERTY were closer to the pivot. DDO-006's combination with the Wavy Steps reverse makes it attractive to collectors pursuing both obverse and reverse die variety attributions simultaneously.

Die Markers

• UVC-625; DMR-021

External References