1959 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

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Verified LegacyDoubled Die Obverse

Market Value

N/A

Rarity Index

N/A

Discovery Date

1959

Last Sold

N/A

Description

Holding the WDDO-002 position for the 1959 Jefferson nickel, this variety exhibits close Class II (Distorted Hub) doubling on the letters of LIBERTY — a subtle form of hub displacement where the secondary impression deviates from the primary through distortion of the working hub rather than a simple rotational or lateral shift. Felix Schlag's Jefferson portrait, which won the 1938 design competition and has graced the nickel obverse for decades, features LIBERTY along the left side where the curved letter strokes provide effective detection surfaces for close doubling. The obverse carries a distinctive die marker: a die scratch positioned to the left of the L in LIBERTY, providing an independent confirmation point for die identification beyond the doubling itself. The reverse shows two separate markers — a long die scratch inside the left arch of Schlag's Monticello depiction and a die gouge positioned below the O of OF — together creating a robust fingerprint for this specific reverse die. Philadelphia struck approximately 27.25 million nickels in 1959, a moderate mintage for the denomination. Close doubling in the Wexler classification system indicates that the primary and secondary hub impressions nearly overlap, producing thickened letter strokes and slightly widened design elements rather than the clearly separated doubled images seen on strong or medium spread varieties. This makes WDDO-002 a more demanding attribution target that requires careful comparison against known normal specimens to confirm. Collectors should first locate the die scratch to the left of L in LIBERTY to verify the correct die, then examine the remaining LIBERTY letters under 15-20x magnification for the subtle thickening that characterizes close Class II displacement, and confirm the reverse die using the arch scratch and the gouge below the O.