1970-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Attributed by John A. Wexler himself, WDDO-002 for the 1970-S Jefferson nickel proof is a Class I rotated hub doubling that produces a close counterclockwise spread across multiple obverse design elements: IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, the five-pointed star, the date, and Felix Schlag's designer initials FS. Class I rotated doubling occurs when the entire hub rotates slightly between successive impressions during die manufacture, creating uniform separation that radiates around the design from a central axis. The CCW direction means doubled images appear displaced clockwise relative to the primary design, a subtle but consistent shift detectable under 7x magnification or stronger. Obverse die markers include a die gouge on the back edge of Jefferson's shoulder near the queue (the tied-back ponytail), while the reverse carries a die dot positioned to the right of the left leg of the M in UNUM. Cross-referenced as CONECA 5-O-I-CCW and Wexler Variety ID 1970-S WDDO-002 Proof, the dual catalog entries confirm broad recognition of this variety across the two major attribution organizations. The San Francisco Mint struck 2,632,810 proof sets in 1970, and proof Jefferson nickels from this era occupy a distinctive niche because proof die preparation involved polishing and chrome plating that sometimes altered the expression of hub doubling, making proof doubled dies appear differently under magnification than their business-strike counterparts. WDDO-002 stands as an important early entry in the S-mint proof Jefferson nickel DDO census.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler
• CONECA 5-O-I-CCW; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-S WDDO-002 Proof
• Expert attribution by John A. Wexler

External References