1939 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-016

Description

Sixteenth in the reverse doubled die census for the second-year 1939 Jefferson nickel, DDR-016 exhibits strong extra thickness on E PLURIBUS UNUM, AMERICA, and CENTS — three major inscription elements spanning the upper and lower portions of Felix Schlag's Monticello reverse. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-630 and DMR-026, tracking three die stages: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B where the reverse shows die gouges through UNITED at mid die state with the obverse also at MDS, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The die gouges through UNITED at Stage B provide a valuable secondary diagnostic that develops during the die's service life, offering collectors a die-state-dependent confirmation marker. The comments identify this reverse as RDV-002 (Straight Steps), referring to a specific Reverse Design Variant where the steps of Monticello appear with straight, well-defined lines — an important classification because the "Full Steps" designation on Jefferson nickels is one of the most sought-after quality markers in the series, and the RDV-002 identification confirms this die carried the potential for well-struck step detail. Philadelphia struck approximately 120.6 million nickels in 1939, the second year of the Jefferson nickel series, and sixteen documented reverse doubled dies for this early date reflects the intensive variety research that inaugural-era Jefferson nickels have attracted. Strong extra thickness on E PLURIBUS UNUM, AMERICA, and CENTS indicates a hub misalignment significant enough to produce clearly visible thickening without requiring extreme magnification, and the distribution of affected elements across both the upper motto and lower denomination text suggests a broad displacement across the reverse die face.

Die Markers

• UVC-630
• DMR-026
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die gouges through UNITED – MDS
• Obverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References