1968-D Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Attributed by Whaden Curtis and carrying the Wexler Variety ID 1968-D WDDR-003, this combined Class II and Class VI doubled die reverse was struck on a 1968-D Jefferson nickel at the Denver Mint. The Jefferson nickel is composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel, weighing 5.0 grams with a 21.2 mm diameter and a plain edge. The combination of Class II (distorted hub) and Class VI (distended hub) doubling mechanisms on a single die is particularly noteworthy, as it indicates the hub underwent two distinct forms of deformation during the hubbing process. Class II doubling results from the hub being distorted or warped, while Class VI occurs when the hub expands under pressure, and their simultaneous presence creates a more complex doubling pattern than either mechanism produces alone. The doubling shows as a very nice spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM, increasing from left to right, with a closer spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA also increasing from left to right. This progressive intensification of doubling from left to right across the inscriptions is a diagnostic signature of the combined Class II and VI mechanisms, where the distortion and distension effects compound more strongly on one side of the die. Obverse die markers include a die crack across Jefferson's head and another die crack across the base of the bust, indicating the obverse die was experiencing structural fatigue. The reverse carries a die dot to the left of the long left window of Monticello and two die gouges in the field above the right side of the dome. Whaden Curtis's attribution work on Jefferson nickel varieties has contributed significantly to the cataloging of doubled dies from the 1960s and 1970s, a period when the multi-squeeze hubbing process was particularly prone to producing varieties. The combined-class doubling on WDDR-003 makes it an instructive example of how multiple hubbing anomalies can occur within a single die-making event.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis
• Wexler Variety ID: 1968-D WDDR-003
• Expert attribution by Whaden Curtis

External References