1962 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-055

Description

Fifty-fifth in the obverse doubled die census for the 1962 Jefferson nickel, WDDO-055 exhibits both doubling and tripling on different inscription elements of Felix Schlag's obverse design: close Class II doubling appears on IN GOD WE TRUST, while close Class II tripling shows on LIBERTY — indicating this die received at least three hub impressions, with the secondary and tertiary impressions creating layered displacement effects of varying intensity across different design zones. The combination of doubled and tripled elements on a single die is relatively uncommon and provides collectors with particularly rich diagnostic material to examine. Obverse die markers include a short die scratch on the rim above the W of WE, while the reverse carries a die gouge below the M of AMERICA — two compact diagnostics positioned in searchable locations for quick die identification. Philadelphia struck approximately 100.60 million nickels in 1962, generating substantial die pair consumption that pushed working dies through the intensive use conducive to hub doubling events during die manufacture. The close designation for both the doubling on IN GOD WE TRUST and the tripling on LIBERTY indicates the multiple hub impressions landed very near the primary positions, producing thickened letterforms and subtle additional contours rather than widely separated images. The Class II (Distorted Hub) mechanism for both effects points to a consistently warped hub or die seating issue that affected multiple hubbing operations. Collectors should examine LIBERTY first under 15-20x magnification for the tripling effect — looking for two layers of displacement creating a complex thickened appearance on each letter — then verify the doubling on IN GOD WE TRUST, using the rim die scratch above W and the reverse gouge below M as confirming die identification markers.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Short die scratch on rim above W of WE.
• Reverse: Die gouge below M of AMERICA.

External References