1945-S Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-005

Description

Class II distorted hub doubling spreads across E PLURIBUS UNUM on this 1945-S Jefferson nickel, with the doubling intensity increasing from left to right -- a characteristic signature of Class II displacement where the hub's distortion creates progressively greater separation between primary and secondary images as distance from the distortion's origin increases. Brian A. Ribar attributed this variety under the Wexler designation 1945-S WDDR-005. UNUM, positioned at the right end of the motto, displays the strongest doubling, consistent with the left-to-right intensification pattern. The obverse die marker -- a die gouge below IB of LIBERTY near the back of Jefferson's head -- provides a secondary authentication point. On the reverse, no additional die markers were noted beyond the doubled die characteristics themselves. An important attribution caveat accompanies this listing: strike doubling visible on the S mintmark should not be confused with an S/S repunched mintmark. Strike doubling (also called machine doubling or mechanical doubling) occurs during the striking process when the die shifts slightly and creates a flat, shelf-like secondary image, fundamentally different from the rounded, notched profile of genuine hub doubling. The 1945-S Jefferson nickel was struck at San Francisco using the standard wartime composition that had returned to copper-nickel after the 1942-1945 silver alloy experiment, with a mintage of 58.9 million pieces. Class II distorted hub doubling is among the more commonly encountered doubling types across the Jefferson nickel series, and the left-to-right intensification gradient on WDDR-005 makes it a textbook example for collectors learning to recognize directional doubling patterns.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 1945-S WDDR-005
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References