1961 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-020

Description

Close Class II distorted hub doubling on E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, increasing from left to right, marks this twentieth doubled die reverse for the 1961 Proof Jefferson Nickel. Attributed by John A. Wexler himself, the progressive left-to-right intensification indicates a rotational or tilting hub displacement that produced stronger doubling on the right side of the reverse design. Die markers include a short diagonal die scratch near the rim below TI of UNITED and a die dot above the right arch on the reverse, while no obverse markers have been noted. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1961 WDDR-020 Proof, the Proof designation confirms this was struck from specially prepared dies at Philadelphia for inclusion in annual Proof sets. The 1961 Proof Jefferson Nickel was part of the standard five-coin Proof set produced that year, and the deliberate die preparation process for Proof coinage — involving multiple hubbing impressions to achieve mirror-quality surfaces — created opportunities for hub misalignment between impressions. Twenty DDRs for a single Proof date demonstrates the extraordinary scrutiny variety researchers apply to Proof issues, where the superior strike quality and mirror surfaces make even subtle doubling detectable under magnification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler
• Wexler Variety ID: 1961 WDDR-020 Proof
• Expert attribution by John A. Wexler

External References