1930 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-004

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-235 and DMR-011, DDR-004 on the 1930 Buffalo Nickel exhibits a medium spread manifesting as an extra vertical bar of the L of PLURIBUS — a diagnostically specific feature that concentrates the doubling on a single letterform where the vertical stroke of the L provides a high-contrast reference against which the secondary impression appears as a clearly separated parallel bar. Three die stages have been documented: Stage A with both reverse and obverse in early die state, Stage B showing a die crack running north from the buffalo's head to the U of UNITED in mid die state with the obverse also in mid die state, and Stage C in late die state unconfirmed. James Earle Fraser's iconic Buffalo Nickel design features a composite Native American portrait on the obverse and an American bison (modeled after Black Diamond from the Central Park Zoo) standing on a raised mound on the reverse, struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel at 5.0 grams with a 21.21 mm diameter. The 1930 issue was struck only at the Philadelphia Mint and San Francisco Mint, and this unmarked Philadelphia variety comes from a year when the Great Depression was reducing mintages across all denominations. The die crack progression from early die state through the Stage B crack running from buffalo's head to the U provides a clear chronological framework for die stage classification, with the crack path offering secondary attribution evidence that supplements the primary L of PLURIBUS doubling diagnostic. The Buffalo Nickel's high-relief design elements made it particularly susceptible to die wear and cracking, which accelerated die replacement and limited the production run for individual working dies.

Die Markers

• UVC-235
• DMR-011
• Stage
• A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Die crack North from
• buffalo's head to U of UNITED –
• MDS
• Obverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Leroy Van Allen
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References