1927 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-001

Description

Primary doubled die reverse for the 1927 Buffalo Nickel, this DDR-001 displays extra thickness on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and FIVE CENTS — the full complement of reverse inscriptions surrounding James Earle Fraser's American Bison. Cataloged under VarietyVista identifiers UVC-244 and DMR-003, the doubling affects the lettering as a uniform thickening rather than separated spread, consistent with a very slight hub displacement that shifted all inscriptions by a small but detectable amount. Die stage documentation places Stage A in early die state for both reverse and obverse, with Stage B at mid-die state and Stage C in late die state, the latter two awaiting further confirmation from examined specimens. The progression from early through late die state allows collectors to track how the doubled image interacts with natural die wear across the life of this die pair. Buffalo Nickels were struck from 1913 through 1938, and the 1927 Philadelphia issue represents the series in its middle production years when the design was well established and dies were manufactured in quantity to meet demand for five-cent coinage.

Die Markers

• UVC-244
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lewis Fletcher
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References