2005 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-028

Description

Twenty-eighth in the reverse doubled die census for the 2005 Jefferson Nickel Westward Journey series, DDR-028 exhibits strong spread under the second and third branches of the right tree in Joe Fitzgerald's "American Bison" reverse design. The strong designation elevates this variety above the more common light and medium spread classifications, indicating a substantial hub displacement that produces clearly visible doubling without requiring extreme magnification. VarietyVista cataloged this die under UVC-1588 and DMR-031, documenting three die stages: Stage A where a die crack develops through the numeral 1 of 1805 at early-to-mid die state (EMDS) with the obverse also at EMDS; Stage B at mid die state (unconfirmed); and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The die crack through the 1 of 1805 in Stage A provides a valuable secondary diagnostic, as this progressive crack allows collectors to assess die state while confirming the correct die. The production comment notes these are business strikes, distinguishing DDR-028 from the Satin Finish (SMS) varieties found in 2005 Mint Sets. The Westward Journey "American Bison" reverse commemorated the Lewis and Clark expedition's encounters with the American bison, and the intricate tree branch detail flanking the central bison figure created an exceptionally productive field for detecting hub doubling events. Strong spread under the second and third branches of the right tree places the doubling in a zone of complex organic detail where the displaced secondary impression is readily visible against the primary branch contours. Collectors should examine the undersides of these branches under 10-15x magnification while also checking for the die crack through the 1 of 1805 to confirm the die identification.

Die Markers

• UVC-1588
• DMR-031
• Stage A:
• Die crack through 1 of 1805 – EMDS
• Obverse is EMDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References