1957 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-006

Description

Light extra thickness on LIBERTY, the five-pointed star left of the date, and the date numerals characterizes this sixth documented doubled die obverse for the 1957 Philadelphia Mint Jefferson Nickel. VarietyVista records this under UVC-954 with DMR-008, documenting three die stages: Stage A in Early Die State (unconfirmed), Stage B in Mid Die State (unconfirmed), and Stage C where both obverse and reverse have reached Late Die State. The confirmed LDS stage, with the earlier stages unconfirmed, suggests known specimens come primarily from late in the die's working life, when accumulated wear and fatigue cracks may make the doubling more challenging to attribute but also provide additional die state markers. The 1957 Jefferson Nickel was struck during the later years of the original Felix Schlag design, which had been in continuous production since 1938. Philadelphia's nickel production in 1957 topped 38.4 million pieces. The doubling affects three distinct design elements — text, geometric shape, and numerals — suggesting the hub shift occurred in a direction that impacted multiple areas of the obverse simultaneously. Light extra thickness, as opposed to the stronger spreads seen on more dramatic doubled dies, requires careful examination under magnification and is best detected by comparing letter widths against known normal specimens.

Die Markers

• UVC-954
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Timothy Wissert
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References