1957 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-005

Description

Attributed by Gary G. Wagnon and carrying the Wexler Variety ID 1957 WDDR-005 Proof, this Class II doubled die reverse was struck on a 1957 proof Jefferson nickel at the Philadelphia Mint. The Jefferson nickel is composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel, weighing 5.0 grams with a 21.2 mm diameter and a plain edge. Philadelphia produced 1,247,952 proof sets in 1957, a figure that was growing steadily as collector interest in proof coins expanded during the late 1950s. The Class II (distorted hub) doubling on WDDR-005 produces a spread toward the center visible on E PLURIBUS UNUM, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FIVE CENTS, and the letters ELLO of MONTICELLO. An important diagnostic characteristic is that all spreads increase from left to right across the inscriptions, the opposite of the more common left-to-right decrease pattern, indicating the hub deformation was oriented so that the greatest displacement occurred on the right side of the die rather than the left. Obverse die markers include a die gouge resembling a dot positioned in the center of the D of GOD and a diagonal die scratch east of the eye at the edge of Jefferson's hairline. On the reverse, a strong die gouge appears to the right of the M of UNUM near the rim, and a die scratch marks the lower part of the fourth column of the Monticello building. Gary G. Wagnon's attribution of this variety places it among the contributions of one of the Jefferson nickel series' most active researchers, whose systematic study of proof issues from the 1950s and 1960s identified numerous previously uncatalogued doubled die varieties. The increasing-left-to-right spread pattern on WDDR-005 makes it diagnostically distinctive among the 1957 proof doubled die reverses and provides collectors with a clear attribution criterion when examining potential specimens.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Gary G. Wagnon
• Wexler Variety ID: 1957 WDDR-005 Proof
• Expert attribution by Gary G. Wagnon

External References