1946-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-011

Description

Whaden Curtis attributed WDDO-011 for the 1946-S Jefferson nickel, classifying it as Class VI distended hub doubling -- a mechanism where the hub expands slightly between impressions, producing extra thickness on design elements rather than the visible separation characteristic of other doubling classes. The extra thickness affects LIBERTY, the five-pointed star, and the date, adding measurable width and height to these features without creating the shelf-like or notched appearance associated with Class I through V doubling. Obverse die markers include a die gouge to the upper right of the numeral 6 in the date and a short die scratch above the R of LIBERTY, while the reverse carries a die gouge to the upper right of the small left window and a slanted die scratch through the E of FIVE. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1946-S WDDO-011, this variety documents a San Francisco Mint die from the first full post-war year of nickel production after the wartime 56% copper / 35% silver / 9% manganese composition was retired. The 1946-S nickel mintage was 13,560,000, notably lower than the Philadelphia and Denver outputs for the same year, a differential that gives S-mint issues from this era a slight scarcity premium. Class VI distended hub doubling is one of the less frequently encountered mechanisms in the variety catalog, making WDDO-011 noteworthy not just for its individual diagnostics but for its contribution to the relatively small population of confirmed Class VI Jefferson nickel varieties that Curtis and other attributors have documented.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis
• Wexler Variety ID: 1946-S WDDO-011
• Expert attribution by Whaden Curtis

External References