1919 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-001

Description

Submitted by Keith Christenson and cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1919 5¢ WDDR-001, this doubled die reverse variety appears on a 1919 Buffalo nickel, with additional cross-referencing as CONECA 1-R-IV+VIII. The Buffalo nickel, also known as the Indian Head nickel, was designed by James Earle Fraser and produced from 1913 through 1938 in a 75% copper and 25% nickel composition, weighing 5.0 grams with a 21.2 mm diameter and a plain edge. Philadelphia struck 60,868,000 Buffalo nickels in 1919, a substantial production figure for the series. Minted during the aftermath of World War I, as America emerged as a global power and experienced the initial prosperity that would define the Roaring Twenties, this coin carries the historical context of a nation in transition. The CONECA classification 1-R-IV+VIII indicates a combination of Class IV (offset hub) and Class VIII (tilted hub) doubling mechanisms, suggesting the hub underwent multiple forms of displacement during the hubbing process. The doubling shows as a close Class II-type spread toward the center on USA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and slightly on FIVE, with the strongest doubling appearing on OF and the adjacent dots flanking the motto. Obverse die markers include a die clash at the throat, a short northwest-to-southeast die crack through the hair at the top of the head, and north-to-south die scratches at the throat. The reverse shows a die clash through E PLURIBUS UNUM. The die clash evidence on both the obverse and reverse confirms these dies met without a planchet between them at some point during their service, transferring transferred design impressions between faces. Photos of this variety were taken by Kevin Flynn, a prominent figure in the doubled die collecting community. WDDR-001 represents the first cataloged doubled die reverse for the 1919 Philadelphia Buffalo nickel.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Leroy Van Allen Cross References: CONECA: 1-R-IV+VIII Comments: The photos of this variety were taken by Kevin Flynn.
• CONECA: 1-R-IV+VIII Comments: The photos of this variety were taken by Kevin Flynn.; Wexler Variety ID: 1919 5¢ WDDR-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References