2005 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-035

Description

Thirty-fifth in the reverse doubled die census for the 2005 Jefferson nickel Westward Journey "American Bison" design, DDR-035 exhibits strong extra thickness across all interior design elements. VarietyVista documented this variety under UVC-1619 and DMR-038, with die stage tracking noting Stage A carries a small die gouge at the rim between the UM of UNUM with both obverse and reverse at early die state. Stages B and C are tracked at mid and late die state respectively, both unconfirmed. The Stage A die gouge between UM of UNUM provides a crucial secondary diagnostic for attribution, as locating this small rim-area gouge confirms the correct die before the more labor-intensive examination of interior design elements for doubled die characteristics. The commentary notes SMS (Satin Finish) and that specimens can be found in 2005 Mint Sets, linking this variety specifically to the satin finish production process that used specially burnished dies and planchets. Jamie Franki's "American Bison" reverse — depicting a full-profile bison with trees and grassland behind, sculpted by Norman E. Nemeth — contains numerous interior design elements including the bison's fur texture, the tree foliage, and the ground cover, all of which show the strong extra thickness that characterizes this DDR. The "strong extra thickness" description indicates the doubling manifests not as clearly separated secondary images but rather as design elements that appear heavier or more pronounced than normal, a presentation common when the hub displacement is small enough that the primary and secondary impressions substantially overlap. This effect makes DDR-035 detectable by comparison against normal specimens rather than by identifying a discrete doubled image. Collectors should locate the die gouge between UM of UNUM first, then compare interior elements — particularly the bison's body and tree details — against confirmed normal 2005 SMS specimens to observe the enhanced thickness that distinguishes this doubled die variety.

Die Markers

• UVC-1619
• DMR-038
• Stage A:
• Small die gouge at rim between UM of UNUM – EDS
• Obverse is EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kenneth Russell
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References