1942-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-004

Description

Fourth doubled die reverse for the 1942-D Jefferson Nickel, WDDR-004 presents Class II (Distorted Hub) doubling visible on E PLURIBUS UNUM, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and FIVE CENTS, with all spreads increasing from left to right across each inscription. The progressive left-to-right increase is a hallmark of Class II doubling, where a tilted or distorted hub creates greater displacement at one side of the die than the other, producing a spread that graduates measurably across the affected design elements. The 1942-D Jefferson Nickel was the last Denver Mint issue struck in the standard 75% copper, 25% nickel composition before the transition to the wartime silver alloy that began with the 1942-P (with large P mintmark above Monticello). Denver did not produce wartime silver-alloy nickels until 1943, making the 1942-D a transitional issue at the boundary between peacetime and wartime compositions. The date carried a mintage of 13,938,000 coins. Die markers documented for this variety include no notable obverse features, while the reverse shows die scratches below AMERICA, die scratches above UNUM, and notably, many die dots scattered across the entire reverse surface. The profusion of die dots suggests that the reverse die experienced significant surface deterioration, possibly from micro-pitting or polishing debris that left small impressions across the die face. The Wexler Team has attributed this variety as WDDR-004, and the combination of Class II doubling across three separate inscriptions with the characteristic left-to-right progression makes this one of the more diagnostically clear doubled die reverses for the pre-war Jefferson Nickel series.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Die scratches below AMERICA; die scratches above UNUM; many die dots on entire reverse.

External References