2019 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-028

Description

Allen Darrow discovered this Class VIII tilted hub doubling variety on the 2019-P Jefferson Nickel, now cataloged as Wexler 2019-P WDDR-028. Like several other 2019-P varieties, the doubling appears below the upper portion of the door frame on the center door above the steps of the Monticello building — a recurring affected zone for Class VIII varieties on the Monticello reverse because the door frame's straight horizontal and vertical lines sit at a position on the die surface where the angular displacement from a tilted hub consistently generates detectable offset. What distinguishes WDDR-028 from other 2019-P varieties sharing a similar doubling location is its unique die marker constellation, which serves as the true fingerprint for this specific working die. The obverse features a die gouge on the right side of the P mintmark — a particularly useful marker because mintmark gouges are compact, precisely locatable, and survive well through the die's service life since the mintmark sits in a slightly recessed field area. The reverse carries three distinct markers: a die crack or chip on the dome of Monticello (a stress-failure feature that developed during the die's production use), a small die chip in the lower right corner of the left arch, and a die gouge below MO of MONTICELLO. The dome crack is especially diagnostic because its linear extent and position can be compared against published die state photographs to estimate where a given specimen falls in the die's production chronology. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in the standard 75% copper / 25% nickel composition at 5.00 grams on a 21.2mm planchet, 2019-P Jefferson Nickels circulated in large numbers, making variety-attributable specimens available to diligent roll searchers.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Allen Darrow
• Wexler Variety ID: 2019-P WDDR-028
• Expert attribution by Allen Darrow

External References