1969-S Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-005

Description

Proof-only by virtue of its S mintmark and 1969 date, WDDR-005 was attributed by John A. Wexler himself — the founder of the doubled die attribution system that bears his name — lending this variety particular provenance in the attribution record. Class II Distorted Hub Doubling shows as a close spread on E PLURIBUS UNUM and a closer spread on OF AMERICA, the graduated displacement characteristic of a warped hub face. The obverse die is independently listed as 1969-S Pr 5¢ WRPM-003, indicating a repunched mintmark that co-exists with the reverse doubling — collectors can pursue two distinct varieties on a single die marriage. Obverse markers include a die gouge between the upper portions of O and D in GOD, while the reverse carries a die gouge inside the upper portion of the R in PLURIBUS. San Francisco proof nickel production in 1969 served collectors exclusively through proof set sales, with a mintage of approximately 2.9 million sets. The convergence of a proof strike, a repunched mintmark, and a doubled die reverse on the same coin creates an unusually layered variety — each anomaly originated from a different stage of the manufacturing process (mintmark punching, die hubbing, and final striking), and together they document three distinct production events on a single pair of dies.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler
• Wexler Variety ID: 1969-S WDDR-005 Proof
• Expert attribution by John A. Wexler

External References