1939-S Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

Attributed by Whaden Curtis and cataloged under Wexler Variety ID 1939-S WDDR-001, this San Francisco Jefferson nickel displays Class II, Distorted Hub Doubling on its reverse. The doubling manifests most clearly on E PLURIBUS UNUM, where the word UNUM shows the strongest displacement, making it the recommended first checkpoint for attribution. The obverse carries a significant die crack running across the top of Jefferson's head, a progressive die fatigue feature that helps tie specimens to this specific die pair. Reverse die markers include die chips inside the vertical sides of the letter M in MONTICELLO, die scratches above the left side of Monticello's building facade, and die scratches inside the letter E of STATES. Curtis's attribution work on early Jefferson nickel varieties has been foundational for the series, and this WDDR-001 designation reflects its status as the primary doubled die reverse for the 1939-S date. The San Francisco Mint produced 6.63 million nickels in 1939, the second year of the Jefferson design by Felix Schlag. Collectors working through rolls or dealer stocks should check UNUM first under 7x magnification, then verify the head crack and M-of-MONTICELLO chips to confirm the die pair before claiming the WDDR-001 attribution.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis
• Wexler Variety ID: 1939-S WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Whaden Curtis

External References