1948 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

Occupying the primary DDO position for the 1948 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel, DDO-001 displays light spread on LIBERTY, the five-pointed star, and the date. Die markers UVC-1664 and DMR-004 identify this specific working die. The notably high UVC number (1664) relative to other mid-century Jefferson nickels suggests this die falls later in the cataloging sequence maintained by variety researchers, though this ordering reflects documentation sequence rather than die production order. Light spread across the familiar three-element pattern — LIBERTY, star, and date — on Felix Schlag's obverse indicates uniform hub displacement affecting the lower-left quadrant of the die. The 1948 nickel was struck in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) during the early post-war boom, three years after the wartime silver alloy ended. Philadelphia coins of this era carry no mintmark. As DDO-001, this variety establishes the benchmark for 1948 doubled die obverse varieties, and collectors pursuing attribution should cross-reference the UVC-1664 and DMR-004 markers to verify the working die beyond the doubling characteristics alone.

Die Markers

• UVC-1664; DMR-004

External References