1969-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Triple spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA combined with strong double spread on MONT of MONTICELLO, FIVE CENTS, and E PLURIBUS UNUM — decreasing in intensity from left to right — makes DDR-001 for the 1969-S Jefferson nickel one of the most dramatically doubled reverse dies documented for the series. The triple spread designation indicates three discernible hub impressions visible on the UNITED STATES inscription, an extraordinary level of misalignment rarely encountered in hub doubling. VarietyVista assigned identifiers UVC-1359 and DMR-012 for this die. Felix Schlag's Monticello reverse, depicting Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate, places the building name MONTICELLO beneath the architectural facade and surrounds it with the denomination FIVE CENTS and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM — all elements that carry the strong double spread documented for this variety. San Francisco struck approximately 202.8 million Jefferson nickels in 1969, and DDR-001 emerged from this substantial production run. The decreasing spread intensity from left to right across the reverse suggests a pivoted or rotational hub displacement where elements on the left side of the die received the greatest separation between impressions while those on the right showed progressively less displacement — consistent with a Class I rotated hub mechanism where the pivot point sat near the right side of the die. Holding the DDR-001 designation means this is considered the most significant reverse doubled die for the date, and the combination of triple and double spread elevates it well above the light or medium spread varieties that constitute the majority of DDR census entries for any given date. Collectors should examine UNITED STATES at 8-12x magnification to observe three overlapping letter impressions, then note how the spread intensity diminishes moving rightward across the reverse.

Die Markers

• UVC-1359; DMR-012

External References