2005 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-011

Description

Very strong spread manifesting as a portion of the lower left branch of the right tree in the field above distinguishes this DDR-011 on the 2005 Jefferson Nickel Westward Journey series — specifically the "American Bison" or "Ocean in View" reverse design that commemorated the Lewis and Clark expedition's bicentennial. The SMS (Special Mint Set/Satin finish) notation indicates this variety can be found in the 2005 uncirculated mint sets that featured the distinctive satin finish rather than standard business strike surfaces. VarietyVista cataloged this variety under UVC-1570 and DMR-015 with three die stages: Stage A in Early Die State shows a light die scratch running southeast from the upper C of CLARK and a small die gouge dot in the hair near the rim at the K-9 position, while Stage B (MDS) and Stage C (LDS) remain unconfirmed. The strong spread is noteworthy because the 2005 Westward Journey designs were only produced for a single year, giving each die variety from this issue added collectibility — these designs will never be repeated. Collectors should look specifically in 2005 mint set holdings where the satin finish preserves die variety diagnostics with exceptional clarity.

Die Markers

• UVC-1570
• DMR-015
• Stage A:
• Light die scratch Southeast from upper C of CLARK – EDS
• Small die gouge dot in hair near rim at K-9 – EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kevin Zaletel
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References