1930 Doubled Die Reverse DDR-006

Description

Sixth doubled die reverse cataloged for the 1930 Buffalo Nickel, this VarietyVista variety shows light spread on STATES OF AMERICA — the upper portion of the reverse legend surrounding James Earle Fraser's American bison design. Die classification codes UVC-255 and DMR-013 position this one entry above DDR-005 (UVC-253) in the numbering sequence, and three die stages have been tracked. Stage A has been verified with both the reverse and obverse in early die state, while Stages B and C at mid and late die states remain unconfirmed. The early die state verification is significant because it confirms the doubling was present from the die's first strikes, ruling out progressive die deterioration as a cause and establishing this as a genuine hubbing variety. Light spread on STATES OF AMERICA means the doubling is subtle and concentrated in the upper inscription area, likely requiring magnification of 5x or greater for confident attribution. The 1930 Philadelphia Mint Buffalo Nickel was produced during the early Depression era, when falling economic activity was beginning to reduce coinage demand. Fraser's Buffalo Nickel design, with its distinctive raised mound beneath the bison and the bold Native American portrait on the obverse, created significant die wear challenges that contributed to the relatively high frequency of die varieties documented across the series. Six doubled die reverses for 1930 adds to the growing catalog of pre-war Buffalo Nickel die varieties, a collecting area that benefits from the intersection of the design's artistic significance and the mechanical challenges it presented to the Philadelphia Mint's die preparation department.

Die Markers

• UVC-255
• DMR-013
• 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