1956 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-022

Description

Medium spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, with light spread on FIVE CENTS, defines DDR-022 on the 1956 Jefferson Nickel — a mid-century date when Felix Schlag's original Monticello reverse was approaching its twentieth anniversary of continuous production. Die markers UVC-939 and DMR-026 anchor the attribution with three die stages: Stage A at Early Die State (unconfirmed), Stage B with both reverse and obverse at Mid Die State, and Stage C at Late Die State (unconfirmed). VarietyVista cataloged this variety within the Jefferson Nickels Original Design 1938-2003 series. Philadelphia struck 35,216,000 nickels in 1956, a relatively modest output compared to adjacent years, which may concentrate the DDR-022 population within a smaller total pool of surviving coins. The medium spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA versus the lighter spread on FIVE CENTS indicates a displacement gradient where the upper reverse inscriptions received greater hub displacement than the lower denomination text — a pattern consistent with hub misalignment that was more pronounced at the top of the die face. Twenty-two cataloged DDR varieties for the 1956 Jefferson Nickel demonstrates the intensive variety research conducted on mid-century nickel dates, when proof and business strike production at Philadelphia generated numerous opportunities for hub alignment variations across the die manufacturing process. The confirmed Mid Die State in Stage B provides a baseline for collectors seeking specimens in the most commonly available die condition.

Die Markers

• UVC-939
• DMR-026
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Franzen
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References