2017 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-003

Description

Third in the reverse doubled die census for the 2017 Jefferson nickel, WDDR-003 presents Class VIII Tilted Hub Doubling visible below the upper right portion of the door frame on the center door above the steps of Monticello — a precisely localized diagnostic on the Return to Monticello reverse design that has been in use since 2006. Class VIII doubling in the Wexler classification results from the hub being tilted at an angle relative to the die during the secondary impression, producing displacement that varies across the die face based on the tilt axis and angle — elements closer to the tilt axis show less displacement, while those farther away show more. The center door above the steps on Monticello's facade provides an architecturally detailed area where even subtle tilted hub displacement manifests as visible doubling on the frame elements, door panels, and step edges. No obverse die markers were noted, but the reverse carries a specific diagnostic: a die gouge extending from the rim below the M of AMERICA, providing a secondary confirmation point independent of the hub doubling itself. The die gouge from the rim creates a raised line on struck coins that extends inward from the edge toward the M, offering an easily located die-specific marker for confirming the correct reverse die. Philadelphia struck Jefferson nickels in 2017 as part of routine annual production. The localization of the doubling to a specific area — below the upper right door frame above the steps — narrows the examination zone for collectors, who should focus their magnification in this precise region rather than scanning the entire reverse. Examination under 15-20x magnification with oblique lighting directed from the right side should cast shadows that reveal the tilted hub displacement on the door frame elements, and the rim-adjacent die gouge below M of AMERICA should be confirmed first to verify the correct die.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Die gouge extending from rim below M of AMERICA.

External References