2005 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-002

Description

Light spread affecting IN GOD WE TRUST, the RT of LIBERTY, the date (showing best on the numeral 2), and the upper serif of designer's initial J in JF characterizes this 2005 Jefferson nickel DDO-002 from the Westward Journey "Ocean in View" design. VarietyVista cataloged the die pair as UVC-1560 with DMR-005, documenting three die stages. At Stage A, the obverse is at early die state and the reverse is itself a listed doubled die cataloged as DDR-009, also at EDS. Stages B and C at mid and late die state remain unconfirmed. The reverse DDR-009 pairing means this is another dual-variety die marriage from the Westward Journey series, where both the obverse and reverse dies exhibit documented hub doubling. A notation indicates this variety can be found as an SMS (Special Mint Set) issue in Westward Journey Sets, which contained satin-finish coins sold directly to collectors. Joe Fitzgerald designed the "Ocean in View" reverse depicting the Pacific coastline Lewis and Clark reached in 1805, and the combination of this commemorative design with a DDO/DDR die marriage creates a multilayered variety that appeals to Jefferson nickel specialists, Westward Journey set collectors, and error variety enthusiasts alike. The date spread concentrating on the numeral 2 provides the most accessible diagnostic for initial screening, as the curved form of the 2 tends to show hub doubling as a shadow or thickness increase along its lower curve. Confirmation requires verifying the spread on TRUST and the designer's initial J, then checking the reverse for DDR-009 characteristics.

Die Markers

• UVC-1560
• DMR-005
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Reverse is LISTED as DDR-009 – EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kevin Zaletel
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References