1960 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-020

Description

Twentieth in the reverse doubled die census for the 1960 Jefferson nickel, WDDR-020 exhibits very close Class II Distorted Hub Doubling on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — the primary inscription on Felix Schlag's Monticello reverse. The "very close" designation indicates the secondary hub impression landed almost directly on top of the primary, producing barely perceptible thickening of the letter strokes rather than any visible separation between doubled images. Class II doubling results from a rotational pivot between hub impressions, where the slight angular misalignment creates displacement that varies across the die face depending on distance from the rotation axis. The reverse die carries distinctive markers: a slanted die scratch positioned inside and to the right of the small right window on Monticello, plus a die scratch and dots above the right arch — architectural details on Schlag's depiction of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate that provide precise diagnostic landmarks. No significant obverse die markers were noted. Philadelphia struck approximately 55.4 million nickels in 1960, a moderate production year, though the total may be higher when including proof production. Twenty documented reverse doubled dies for the 1960 Jefferson nickel reflects the intensive variety research applied to this date, and the very close doubling on WDDR-020 represents the subtle end of the detection spectrum where confirmation requires careful comparison against known normal specimens. The die markers near Monticello's right window and arch provide the crucial first step in attribution — locating these die-specific features confirms the specimen warrants the closer inspection needed to evaluate the very close doubling on the inscription.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Slanted die scratch inside and to right of small right window; die scratch and dots above right arch.

External References