1939 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-014

Description

Distorted hub doubling classified as Class II produced very close spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM on this 1939 Jefferson Nickel reverse, creating secondary letter outlines tight enough to require magnification above 5x for confident identification. John A. Wexler's attribution under variety ID 1939 WDDR-014 anchors this variety within the second year of Felix Schlag's original Jefferson Nickel design, which debuted in 1938 after Schlag won the public design competition with a portrait derived from Jean-Antoine Houdon's famous 1789 bust. Obverse diagnostics include a die gouge positioned below the B of LIBERTY and a slanted die scratch situated below the U of TRUST — markers that persist across all die states and confirm die identity independent of the reverse doubling. Reverse die markers reveal slanted die scratches cutting through the M of MONTICELLO and a die gouge appearing as a dot to the left of the upper portion of the small left window, placed within the architectural detail of Jefferson's Charlottesville home. Philadelphia's 1939 nickel production of over 120 million pieces provided substantial raw material for variety hunters, yet the close spread characteristic of Class II doubling means many specimens circulate undetected. Class II distorted hub doubling occurs when the hub itself carries slight dimensional irregularities from its own manufacture, transferring that distortion uniformly to every die it creates — distinguishing it from Class I rotational doubling where each die receives a unique spread pattern based on the specific rotation between hub impressions.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1939 WDDR-014
• Expert attribution by John A. Wexler

External References