1917 Doubled Die Obverse DDO-001

Description

The premier doubled die obverse cataloged for the 1917 Buffalo Nickel, DDO-001 shows medium spread on the Native American portrait's eye, nose, and upper lip — anatomical details where hub doubling produces a particularly dramatic effect due to the high relief of James Earle Fraser's iconic design. Assigned UVC-259 and DMR-004 within the VarietyVista framework, this variety carries systematic attribution codes anchoring it in the die marker reference system. Two die stages have been confirmed: Stage A at Early Die State on both obverse and reverse, and Stage B documented at a Mint State grade level, indicating continued die use beyond its initial production phase. Philadelphia struck over 51 million Buffalo Nickels in 1917, providing a deep population from which variety collectors can search. The eye, nose, and upper lip form the central focal point of Fraser's portrait, and medium-strength doubling across all three creates a visually compelling variety under magnification. As the first DDO listed for this date, DDO-001 holds priority status in the 1917 Buffalo Nickel die variety census.

Die Markers

• UVC-259
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lewis Fletcher
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References