1963-D Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-001

Description

Carrying the primary Wexler designation for the 1963-D Jefferson nickel obverse, WDDO-001 exhibits Class VIII tilted hub doubling where the upper curve of the 6 in the date spreads sharply in a counter-clockwise direction. Class VIII doubling — tilted hub doubling — occurs when the working hub and working die are misaligned along an angular axis during the die sinking process, creating a rotational displacement that affects different areas of the design to varying degrees depending on their distance from the tilt axis. Felix Schlag's Jefferson portrait, which won a public design competition in 1938 and has graced the nickel obverse ever since, positions the date in the lower right field where the curved strokes of the 6 readily reveal even modest hub misalignments. Denver produced approximately 276.8 million nickels in 1963, a substantial output that reflects the growing demand for minor coinage in the years immediately preceding the 1965 coin shortage. Obverse die markers provide essential secondary diagnostics for attributing this variety: two diagonal die scratches occupy the depressed area to the left of the upper portion of Jefferson's queue (the tied-back hair), serving as fingerprints unique to this specific working die. On the reverse, a strong die scratch inside the second U of PLURIBUS offers an independent confirmation point. The sharp CCW spread on the 6 makes this one of the more readily identifiable Jefferson nickel doubled dies under moderate magnification, as the displacement produces a clearly visible secondary curve adjacent to the primary digit contour. Collectors should examine the upper arc of the 6 under 10-15x magnification, where the counter-clockwise spread manifests as extra thickness or a visible secondary line extending from the primary curve.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Two diagonal die scratches in depressed area left of upper portion of queue.
• Reverse: Strong die scratch inside second U of PLURIBUS.

External References