1971-S Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-034

Description

Very close Class II distorted hub doubling on WE TRUST, LIBERTY, the star, and the date defines this thirty-fourth DDO for the 1971-S Proof Jefferson Nickel, discovered by Tony Russo. The Class II spread produces tight displacement between normal and doubled design positions, requiring careful magnification to distinguish from die deterioration doubling. Die markers include a short die scratch to the right of the front tip of Jefferson's collar on the obverse, while the reverse is itself a doubled die listed as 1971-S Pr 5c WDDR-058 — creating another dual-sided doubled die marriage from the prolific 1971-S Proof production. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1971-S WDDO-034 Proof, the pairing of DDO-034 with WDDR-058 on the same die marriage means every coin from this combination shows hub doubling on both sides. San Francisco's 1971-S Proof nickel production generated an extraordinary number of documented die varieties, with thirty-four DDOs reflecting the intensive variety research applied to early 1970s Proof issues. The Proof manufacturing process, which uses polished dies and multiple strikes at reduced speed, required careful die preparation that paradoxically introduced hub misalignment opportunities during the multiple hubbing passes needed to achieve mirror-finish die surfaces.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tony Russo
• Wexler Variety ID: 1971-S WDDO-034 Proof
• Expert attribution by Tony Russo

External References