1960 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-009

Description

Ninth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1960 Jefferson nickel, WDDR-009 exhibits close Class II (Distorted Hub) doubling on E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — two major reverse inscriptions on Felix Schlag's Monticello design that has graced the nickel reverse since 1938. Class II doubling results from a distortion in the working hub rather than a rotational or pivotal misalignment, producing displacement patterns that do not follow the simple geometric predictions of Class I (Rotated Hub) doubling. The close designation indicates the primary and secondary hub impressions nearly overlap, creating thickened letterforms and subtle notching rather than dramatically separated doubled images. Philadelphia struck approximately 192.6 million nickels in 1960, a healthy production run that consumed numerous die pairs across the calendar year. Reverse die markers provide a critical secondary diagnostic: a die scratch runs near the top of the first column extending toward the second column of Monticello's portico, offering a fingerprint unique to this specific working die. No significant obverse die markers were recorded. The affected inscriptions span the upper and lower reverse — E PLURIBUS UNUM arcs above the building while UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs along the lower rim — indicating the hub distortion influenced a broad swath of the die surface rather than a localized area. Collectors seeking this variety should first locate the die scratch between the first and second Monticello columns to confirm the correct die, then examine the reverse inscriptions under 15-20x magnification for the characteristic thickened letterforms and notching that define close Class II doubling.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Die scratch near top of first column to second column.

External References