2016 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-021

Description

Twenty-first in the reverse doubled die census for the 2016 Jefferson nickel, WDDR-021 displays Class VIII tilted hub doubling visible above and below the triangular pediment centered over the main doorway of Felix Schlag's Monticello facade. Class VIII doubling — tilted hub — occurs when the hub and die are not parallel during impression, creating a rocking effect where one portion of the design receives more displacement than another, and the triangle above the center door on Monticello's portico sits at a transitional zone where the tilt axis crosses, producing visible doubling both above and below the element. The Return to Monticello reverse, reintroduced in 2006 after the Westward Journey series, restored Schlag's architectural rendering of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia plantation home with refined details that make the triangular pediment above the door an effective diagnostic region for hub doubling detection. Philadelphia struck millions of nickels in 2016 as part of regular commerce production, generating substantial die usage across the year's output. Obverse die markers provide essential attribution confirmation: three die gouges positioned below the N of IN near Jefferson's hairline create a distinctive fingerprint unique to this working die pair. No significant reverse die markers beyond the doubling itself were recorded. Collectors should examine the triangular pediment area under 10-15x magnification, looking for displaced secondary impressions of the triangle's edges and the architectural details immediately above the center doorway and above the steps, where the tilted hub mechanism produces its most visible effects on this particular die.

Die Markers

• Obverse: Three die gouges below N of IN near hairline.
• Reverse: None noted.

External References