1964 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-008

Description

Classified as Class II Distorted Hub Doubling, the 1964 Jefferson nickel WDDO-008 exhibits close doubling on IN GOD WE TRUST — Felix Schlag's obverse motto positioned along the left rim above Jefferson's portrait. Class II doubling in the Wexler system results from a rotational pivot between hub impressions, where the working hub rotated around a center point during the secondary impression, producing displacement that varies with distance from the axis of rotation. The obverse die carries a specific diagnostic marker: a small die dot on the back of Jefferson's shoulder near the queue (the tied ponytail visible at the back of Jefferson's neck in profile). This die dot — a tiny raised point on struck coins produced by a small pit in the die surface — provides a crucial secondary identifier for confirming the DDR attribution independent of the doubling itself. No significant reverse die markers were noted. Philadelphia struck approximately 1.79 billion nickels in 1964, the final year before the Mint's temporary suspension of mintmarks during the coin shortage, and the enormous production volume generated extensive working die inventories. The close doubling designation indicates the secondary hub impression landed very near the primary, producing thickened letter strokes and subtle contour shifts rather than dramatically separated doubled images. Collectors examining 1964 Jefferson nickels for WDDO-008 should first locate the die dot near the queue on Jefferson's shoulder to confirm the correct die, then examine IN GOD WE TRUST under 15-20x magnification for the rotational displacement characteristic of Class II doubling, where letters closer to the pivot point show less displacement than those farther away.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Small die dot on back of Jefferson's shoulder near queue.
• Reverse: None noted.

External References