2018 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-010

Description

Occupying the tenth position in the Wexler reverse doubled die census for the 2018 Jefferson nickel, WDDR-010 displays Class VIII (Tilted Hub) doubling below the upper portion of the door frame on the center door above the steps of Monticello. Class VIII doubling results from the hub tilting during the impression process, producing displacement that varies across the die surface — strongest where the tilt creates maximum angular deviation and diminishing toward the pivot point. Felix Schlag's original Monticello reverse, which returned to the nickel in 2006 after the two-year Westward Journey hiatus, provides intricate architectural detail on Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate that makes the center doorway a particularly diagnostic zone for detecting hub irregularities. The die markers strengthen attribution: while no significant obverse markers were noted, the reverse carries a distinctive die gouge manifesting as a raised dot to the right of the right long window on the Monticello facade. This dot serves as a reliable fingerprint for the specific working die, confirmable independently of the doubling itself. Philadelphia struck approximately 1.26 billion nickels in 2018, a substantial production run ensuring wide distribution of this die's output. The doorframe and steps area of Monticello has proven to be a recurring diagnostic zone for Class VIII doubled dies across multiple years of the Return to Monticello series, as the fine architectural lines in this region amplify even modest tilting displacement. Collectors should examine the area immediately below the upper doorframe crossbar at 15-20x magnification, looking for a secondary shadow or shelf beneath the primary design element, then confirm the reverse die gouge dot to the right of the right long window.

Die Markers

• Obverse: None noted.
• Reverse: Die gouge (dot) to right of right long window.

External References