1959-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-007

Description

Brian A. Ribar attributed this 1959 Denver Mint Jefferson Nickel doubled die reverse, cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID 1959-D WDDR-007, identifying Class II distorted hub doubling that shows as a close spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM and AMERICA. Class II doubling occurs when the hub itself is slightly distorted during the hubbing process, creating a distinctive spread pattern that differs from the parallel shifts of Class I doubling. Obverse die markers include three heavy die gouges above GOD, while the reverse shows a die gouge above the long left window and a slanted die scratch to the lower right of the first O of MONTICELLO. The 1959-D nickel was struck at the Denver Mint during a historically significant year for U.S. coinage — 1959 marked the debut of the Lincoln Memorial reverse on cents, replacing the Wheat Ears design, while the Jefferson Nickel continued with its established Monticello reverse. Denver produced approximately 160.7 million nickels in 1959, and the three heavy die gouges above GOD on the obverse provide a particularly strong secondary attribution marker. Die gouges form when foreign material or debris damages the die surface, creating recessed marks that appear as raised features on struck coins, and three such gouges in close proximity make this die distinctively identifiable.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 1959-D WDDR-007
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References