1963 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-018

Description

Eighteenth doubled die reverse for the 1963 Philadelphia Mint Jefferson Nickel, WDDR-018 exhibits particularly noteworthy Class II Distorted Hub Doubling showing on E PLURIBUS UNUM, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and the right side of the Monticello building — a wide distribution of doubling across multiple reverse design elements that makes this a visually interesting variety. Class II doubling arises from a physical distortion in the working hub itself rather than a simple geometric misalignment, and the resulting spread varies in direction and magnitude across the die surface according to the hub's deformation geometry. Die markers for this variety include a die dot to the left of the first column and a die dot between the upper portions of the third and fourth columns — both on the reverse — while the obverse shows no noted markers. The 1963 Philadelphia Mint nickel was the final year before the massive 1964 production ramp-up triggered by the coin shortage crisis, and die production for 1963 followed normal peacetime patterns. The description of "very nice" Class II doubling suggests this variety is more visually prominent than many Class II entries, where the distortion-based spread can sometimes be subtle. Eighteen DDR varieties for 1963-P reflects the ongoing productivity of variety research on early 1960s Jefferson Nickels — a period when the original Felix Schlag design was approaching its twenty-fifth year of production. This variety's strong showing on both inscriptions and architectural elements makes it a particularly rewarding find for variety hunters examining circulation-strike 1963 nickels.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Die dot to left of first column; die dot between upper portions of third and fourth columns.

External References