2023 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-016

Description

Class VIII tilted hub doubling manifests at the tops of T, I, and C in MONTICELLO on this 2023-P Jefferson nickel, cataloged as WDDR-016 by Brian A. Ribar. Tilted hub doubling -- Class VIII in the Wexler classification system -- occurs when the hub enters the die at a slight angle during one of the hubbing impressions, producing doubling that increases or decreases in magnitude across the die face depending on distance from the tilt axis. The obverse die carries two notable markers: die chips on Jefferson's chin and a die gouge positioned above designer Felix Schlag's initials DW, which were restored to the nickel's obverse in 2006 when the Mint returned to the Monticello reverse after the Westward Journey series. On the reverse, heavy die gouge above the right arch stands as the most prominent marker, supplemented by a die gouge in the field below V of FIVE, another inside the small left semicircular window of the Monticello facade, and yet another below M of UNUM. This constellation of four reverse die gouges provides a robust fingerprint for authenticating WDDR-016 independent of the doubling itself. The Wexler cross-reference is listed as 2023-P WDDR-016. Jefferson nickels from the Return to Monticello era (2006 to date) have yielded a substantial number of doubled die varieties, partly because the architectural detail of Monticello's facade -- with its columns, windows, doors, and pediment -- amplifies even minor hub misalignment into visible doubling across multiple fine design elements simultaneously.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian A. Ribar
• Wexler Variety ID: 2023-P WDDR-016
• Expert attribution by Brian A. Ribar

External References