1943-S Doubled Die Obverse DDO-003

Description

Struck during the height of World War II at the San Francisco Mint, the 1943-S Jefferson nickel DDO-003 exhibits light spread on the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. This silver-alloy wartime issue (56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese) carries the large "S" mintmark above Monticello's dome, the distinctive wartime placement that immediately identifies the 1942-1945 emergency composition. The reverse die paired with this obverse is separately documented as DDR-001, establishing a die marriage where both sides carry cataloged hub doubling — collectors who identify DDR-001 on the reverse can anticipate finding this DDO-003 on the obverse, and vice versa. VarietyVista assigns UVC-743 and die marriage DMR-017 to this die pair. San Francisco's 1943 nickel production totaled approximately 104.1 million pieces in the silver alloy. Light spread confined to IN GOD WE TRUST concentrates the diagnostic examination on the upper obverse, where the motto letters should display subtle secondary impressions under 7-10x magnification. The dual-attribution potential from the DDO/DDR die pairing enhances the desirability of this variety among wartime nickel specialists.

Die Markers

• UVC-743; DMR-017

External References