1919 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-002

Description

Moderate Class V clockwise rotational doubling, pivoting from approximately the 1 o'clock position, affects the date, chin, ribbon, and the short feather at the back of the neck on this 1919 Philadelphia Mint Buffalo Nickel. Class V doubling results from a pivoted hub rotation during the die-making process, where the hub turns slightly around a fixed point between impressions, producing a spread that increases with distance from the pivot — meaning elements far from the 1 o'clock anchor show the strongest displacement. The Wexler Team attributes this variety under Wexler Variety ID 1919 5c WDDO-002, and photographs were taken by Brian Ribar. Reverse die markers include a light, nearly diagonal die scratch extending from the bison's rear right hoof to the rear left leg — a feature useful for confirming the specific die pairing. No cross-references to other attribution systems are currently known. The 1919 Buffalo Nickel was struck during the World War I era at the Philadelphia Mint, six years into James Earle Fraser's iconic design featuring the composite Native American portrait on the obverse and the American bison on the reverse. Buffalo Nickel doubled dies from the late 1910s are scarce relative to later dates, making WDDO-002 a notable find for series specialists.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bill Fivaz Cross References: None known Comments: The photos of this variety were taken by Brian Ribar.
• None known Comments: The photos of this variety were taken by Brian Ribar.; Wexler Variety ID: 1919 5¢ WDDO-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References