1956 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-013

Description

Attributed by Peter Beane and cross-referenced as CONECA 27-R-II (Wexler Variety ID: 1956 WDDR-013 Proof), this proof Jefferson Nickel exhibits Class II Distorted Hub Doubling. The spread runs toward the center and appears on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FIVE CENTS, CELLO, the right side of Monticello, and E PLURIBUS UNUM, with all spreads increasing significantly from left to right. Class II doubling results from hub-and-die misalignment during the hubbing press, creating a mechanical pivot that distorts element spacing rather than producing a simple parallel offset. Four diagnostic die markers confirm attribution. On the obverse, a curving die gouge appears in the hair at the back of the head west of the E of LIBERTY. On the reverse, four distinct gouges are mapped: one above and between the T and S of CENTS, a second between the lower T and S, a third to the left of the bottom of the C in CENTS, and a fourth inside the second U of PLURIBUS. Proof Jefferson Nickels of the 1950s were struck at Philadelphia, and the mirror surfaces make reverse hub doubling particularly apparent on high-grade examples. Felix Schlag designed the Jefferson Nickel in 1938.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Peter Beane
• CONECA 27-R-II; Wexler Variety ID: 1956 WDDR-013 Proof
• Expert attribution by Peter Beane

External References