1950 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Classified as Class II Distorted Hub Doubling, this 1950 Jefferson Nickel WDDR-003 displays a spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM that decreases slightly from left to right, with slight doubling also visible on STATES OF AMERICA. The left-to-right diminishing pattern indicates the hub displacement's geometry created maximum visible offset on the leftmost inscription elements and progressively less doubling moving rightward — a pattern consistent with a pivot point positioned toward the right side of the die face. Obverse die markers include a series of die scratches to the right of Jefferson's ear, providing a quick screening point on the portrait side. Reverse markers are particularly rich: a die gouge dot to the right of the long left window of Monticello, a slanted die scratch between the fourth column and the long right window, a die gouge dot in the field on the lower right side of the dome, and a die scratch in the field extending from the right porch to the second U of UNUM. These four reverse markers are distributed across Monticello's architectural features — windows, columns, dome, and porch — creating an exceptionally detailed identification framework. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag and struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1950 in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm. The 1950-P nickel is notable for having only a 9.8 million-piece mintage — one of the lowest in the Jefferson series — which makes any variety on this date inherently more scarce in absolute terms, though the low mintage also means fewer working dies were needed, potentially limiting the total variety population. The distorted hub mechanism producing the left-to-right decreasing spread provides attribution specialists with a testable prediction of where doubling should be strongest.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Series of die scratches to right of Jefferson’s ear.
• Reverse: Die gouge (dot) to right of long left window; slanted die scratch between fourth column and long right window; die gouge (dot) in field on lower right side of dome; die scratch in field from right porch extending to second U of UNUM.

External References